Butterfly's Mask
by Daughter of Horus
Summary: Sequel to Firefly's Light. Although Dio and Luciola have been reunited, their lives are far from being filled with passionate bliss. Luciola's in denial about the depth of his feelings, and there's a new threat on the horizon. Dio/Luciola.
1. Luna Moth

His bed was warm and soft, and for a moment, Luciola forgot where he was. Then he tried to roll over, and realized he was effectively paralyzed; Dio's arms had wrapped around him so tightly that he could barely move. The events of last night came back to him in a rush; Dio had all but dragged him inside, waking up the entire house. His attempts to introduce himself as Luciola had not gone over well, but a fight had been averted by the timely arrival of Tatiana, Alister, and Daphne with their vanships, seeking a place to spend the night. _Yes, that's right. I'm back where I belong._

Dio was waking up. His breathy mumble was the first thing Luciola heard. "Good morning…" The former Guild member yawned and rolled over, freeing him from his hold. "Luciola."

He sat up, stretching to work out the kinks in his shoulders. "Yes, my lord?"

Dio grinned. "Didn't I just tell you not to call me that anymore? Oh, I'm so glad you're here." He grabbed Luciola's arm and hauled him out of bed. "Come on; I smell Dunya making breakfast."

Out of politeness, Luciola almost said he wasn't hungry—after all, Dunya couldn't possibly have made enough food to feed the entire household plus the four new arrivals—but then his stomach grumbled loudly, and Dio giggled.

To Luciola's eyes, the kitchen was tiny and cramped. The table had been made to hold ten people, and each seat was taken. Mullin was eating standing up, while one of Dunya's siblings—Nikos, he thought—was perched on the kitchen counter. Claus and Lavie were nowhere to be seen yet, something Luciola was thankful for. Daphne had settled herself into a chair by the door. She looked up from her food as they entered. "Morning, Luciola. And you, Dio."

He grinned at her. "I know I said this last night, but thank you for bringing Luciola back to me."

She snorted. "I didn't do anything special; I was just the navigator. Luciola came here under his own power."

Dio scanned the room for a place to sit. Finding none, he leaned against the wall. Dunya saw him and sighed. "Good morning. We've got eggs and sausages; eat up."

Luciola stepped out of the doorway to allow Claus and Lavie through. Claus' eyes narrowed when he saw him, a motion Luciola returned. _He doesn't like me. That's fine. I don't need his favor, only his trust._

Dio hugged him. "Good morning, Immelmann!"

Claus mumbled something incoherently, and Lavie elbowed him. "Aren't you awake yet, Claus?"

Luciola picked at the eggs Dunya gave him; they were runny and in serious need of pepper. Daphne must have helped make breakfast. As he ate, he watched the other inhabitants of the house. _The Scheer siblings don't know me, and they don't care if I'm really Luciola or not. I never spoke much with Mr. Shetland, Miss Agrew or Miss Wisla; I doubt they even noticed me before. Lady Alvis…_ He caught her eye for a moment before she squeaked and turned back to her food. He sighed. _She doesn't believe me yet. Neither do Claus or Lavie. Especially Claus._

The clicking of cutlery on porcelain and the sounds of eating were broken by Claus, who suddenly turned to Luciola with an accusing glance.

"Who are you?"

Dio stiffened. It took effort for Luciola kept his face perfectly impassive. "I told you. I am Luciola. Lord Dio will vouch for me."

Dunya quickly motioned to her siblings. "You're done eating, right? Mullin, why don't you take the kids into town for the day and do some shopping? Be back around noon." He and the younger Scheer siblings left, but Alvis remained, staring at the scene unfolding before her.

Lavie glared at Luciola. "We knew Luciola, and you're nothing like him. You come here with some girl in a second-rate vanship—"

"_Hey_! My vanship is perfectly airworthy."

Lavie ignored her. "—from who knows where, _claiming_ to be Luciola…but you look nothing like him! Sure, Dio trusts you, but Dio's the person who greets people he's never met with hugs. We let you stay the night, sure, but only because you came so late. So, tell us! Who are you, and what do you want?"

Luciola realized he was starting to grind his teeth in anger. With difficulty, he forced himself to slow down and think. _Think. What can I tell them that will make them realize I couldn't possibly be lying?_ "Claus, Lady Alvis. Do you remember the fall of the Guild? I planted explosives to damage the palace."

Claus dropped his fork. "No."

He continued. "Lady Alvis, do you remember what I gave you that day? I do; my communicator and a pilot's cap that Lord Dio had meant to give you as thanks for celebrating his birth week with him. Claus. I told you to make sure Dio got away safely." _And you failed_, he almost added, but checked himself.

Alvis started to sob. Crying, she leapt out of her seat and ran over to him. "L-Luciola…" To his surprise, she hugged him. "You saved my life…thank you."

Dio looked smug. "You see? I told you last night. He _is_ Luciola. Even Alvis can see it."

Claus rose from his seat. "I guess I owe you an apology, then. But if you're Luciola, then what happened to you?"

Helped by occasional interjections from Daphne, Luciola told them everything that had happened since he had woken up in a hospital bed three months ago. When he was finished, there was silence.

Finally, Lavie spoke. "Luciola…I'm sorry I doubted you."

He nodded in acknowledgement.

Daphne stood up and began gathering up the dirty dishes. "Right. Now that that's settled, who's going to help me and Lavie with the dishes? Dunya, you can relax; we'll handle things here."

&

Later that day, Dio lay on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. _I'm so bored…There's nothing to do around here. Well, I guess I could help Mullin and Immelmann expand the vanship shed…but that's too much work. Or I could help weed the garden…no, it's too boring._ A commotion from the hallway caught his attention. Lavie stormed past his open door, blushing.

"Hey, Lavie. What's going on?"

She blushed even harder and refused to meet his gaze. "Well, since Daphne, Tatiana and Alister are going to share the room Alvis and I were in, I decided to move…"

"Oh? And where are you going to sleep?"

"Well…I can't stay with Dunya and Mullin, and all of Dunya's siblings are going to share a room, so…I'm going to share Claus' room. We—we have separate beds, so it's not like…"

Dio smirked as she all but fled down the hall. _They're so ridiculous, both of them. She's obviously interested in him, but Immelmann wouldn't get the hint unless she beat him over the head with it. He's so clueless, it's kind of cute._

He sighed, thinking. _If that's the way the rooms are going to be set up from now on, then that leaves me sharing a room with Luciola. That's nothing new; we've always shared a room and a bed, ever since we were little. But still…_ He felt his face heat up. _That new body he inhabits is something special. Now that I think about it, he always was pretty attractive, but now… _He grinned. _He's different now, and I think I like it. _

He crept out of the room. Luciola was working on Daphne's vanship outside, and he was sure he'd appreciate some help.

&

Luciola bent over the vanship, running his fingers across the hull. _How on earth did this get to be in such bad shape? I suppose the people in the vanship bay on Exile didn't strap it down tight enough. _

As he straightened, Dio came up behind him, draping his arms around his shoulders and stretching to murmur into his ear. "What are you doing, Luciola?"

His heartbeat sped up as Dio's warm breath brushed his cheek. _What am I doing? It's just Dio, just the way he expresses his feelings._ "Working on Miss Daphne's vanship."

He swore he could feel Dio smirk. "Would you like me to help?" One hand began lazily running up and down his bare arm. "Wow, this body _is_ different from your old one…"

The part of Luciola's brain that controlled breathing seemed to have stopped working for a moment, and it took a few moments for him to compose himself. "Er, if you want. But I should warn you, Miss Daphne's a bit picky about her vanship."

Dio giggled. "She sounds a little bit like Lavie. Do you think they'll ever get along at all?"

Now he was caressing Luciola's back, and those warm hands were downright distracting. He had to fight to keep still. "Ah, Lord Dio…"

"Errr…Sorry to interrupt, but Dunya sent me to get Dio to help weed the garden. Luciola, can you work on that by yourself for now? I have to help Dunya's siblings move their stuff." At first glance, Daphne looked apologetic, but she was smirking slightly as she eyed the position Dio and Luciola were in.

Dio separated from him slowly. "I'll see you later, Luciola."

He nodded as they left. For a brief moment, he felt an urge to rush after Dio, but stopped himself. _The garden is right behind the house, and Miss Agrew is there with him. Nothing will happen to him._ He sank back against the vanship. _What was that? He has always been…physically demonstrative…but he was much more forward than usual just now. Is it just because he's glad to see me back? Or is it…no. _He shook his head to rid himself of a potentially mind-damaging thought. _He is my lord. I should never think about him in that way. _

Back to work. The hull was scratched and in need of cleaning and a fresh coat of paint, but it wasn't as bad as he'd first thought. There was a sizeable dent by the navi's seat that would have to be hammered out before he could start polishing, though. With a sigh, he reached for his tool kit.

&

Dio groaned. An infestation of dandelions had somehow sprung up next to the carrots. While they weren't exactly weeds, they were taking up valuable nutrients and had to be pulled out. Unfortunately, their roots were intertwined and extremely difficult to remove.

Alister was working next to him. Eventually, he broke the silence. "You were just on the Silvana. How is everyone?"

She smiled sadly. "Fine, now. Did you hear about what happened to the captain?"

He shook his head. "What happened?"

She shivered. "He was a prisoner of the Guild. When First Officer…I'm sorry, she's Empress Sophia now…when she gave the order to fire on the Guild ship, the captain was still inside. We…we heard his voice right before the missiles hit, but it was too late to do anything. The empress was crushed. She left the ship after that; we haven't seen her since. Wina Lightning, our top sound technician, became the new captain, and Campbell is her first officer."

"What about Lescius, the engineer? Is he alright?" _I haven't seen him since Delphine took over the ship. He was a Dagobert; if she had him killed…_

She frowned, thinking. "I don't see him too often, but he seemed to be in good health when I left."

His face lit up. "That's wonderful news. And the mechanics; how are they? Does Ethan still do his fire-breathing trick?"

For some reason, she blushed. "They're fine, everyone's fine. Ethan, umm…I don't know if he still does that trick. I haven't seen him much."

"Really? I would have thought you'd have plenty of reasons to go down into the hangar. Or…" He smirked. "Maybe it's just Ethan you've been avoiding." _It was so obvious that he had a crush on her, but she never gave him the time of day. It must have been awkward._

She blushed harder, avoiding his gaze. "What are you saying that for? We have work to do. Lavie says these dandelions will make a good salad."

They weeded in silence from then on, although from time to time Alister was sure she heard him humming a cheerful tune.

&

That night, as Luciola changed for dinner—he had acquired a rather large grease stain on his shirt that refused to come out—Dio blew into the room with a grin. "Did you have fun working on that girl's vanship?"

Luciola, sitting on the edge of the bed, nodded. In truth, the last few hours had passed in a blur. He had been unable to stop his mind from dwelling on the feeling of Dio's hands on him to notice much of anything. Even trying to force himself to focus on his work hadn't helped.

As he began to button up his shirt, Dio grabbed his hands. "Stop."

"…Lord Dio?"

Dio grinned and moved his hands to his shoulders, pushing the shirt down. "I want to see what this new body of yours is like."

With absolutely no warning, Dio's hands began roaming lightly over Luciola's exposed chest. Luciola remained absolutely still, mind whirling. _We shouldn't be doing this. His hands are so warm…Wait, we really—_ The younger boy's fingers brushed a sensitive spot under his ribs, and he squirmed. _That—that tickles._

Dio saw this and smirked. "Oh, are you ticklish now, Luciola? Interesting." Experimentally, he ran his fingers over the same spot again and was rewarded with a breathy wheeze that might almost have been a laugh.

He stopped and stared at him. "…Luciola, was that—did you just _laugh_?"

Luciola shook his head resolutely. _Of course not. I don't laugh; I've never laughed in my life. Besides…I cannot show such weakness in front of him._

"No, you did. I saw your face change, just for a second." Dio drew closer, until his bangs brushed Luciola's forehead. "See, right…here…" He trailed off.

Luciola seemed to have forgotten how to breathe again. He was painfully aware of his own face heating up. _He's so close…I can count his eyelashes. Were they always so long? So close…I could…_

"Hey, guys! Dinner's almost ready!" Lavie's yell from the kitchen broke the tension. In an instant, Dio was on the other side of the room.

"Lavie will have my head if I come to the table without washing my hands first. See you in a bit!"

Luciola stared at the closed door for a long time before putting his shirt back on.


	2. Aega Morpho

There was a knock at the front door. Dio ignored it; he has been warned never to open the door to anyone himself, as a matter of maintaining his privacy more than his safety. Then the knock sounded again, louder and more insistent, and he decided to open the door anyway. After all, Luciola was working on the vanship shed within earshot, and Daphne was surely around somewhere; he could hear the faint clicks of her knitting needles.

A Guild man stood on the other side, offering a slightly nervous smile. He appeared to be a few years older than Dio, with bushy blond hair and glasses. He was wearing black slacks and a collared dress shirt, but had added a vest of the most hideous shade of chartreuse Dio had ever seen. "Good morning. Is Miss Daphne Korakos at home?"

Dio's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

From the corner of his eye, Luciola came into view; the man hadn't seen him yet. He motioned towards the visitor, and Dio responded with an almost imperceptible shake of his head. _Let's see what he wants first._

The man opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a yelp as Daphne flung open her bedroom door. "Hey, Demeios! What're you doing here?"

Dio raised an eyebrow as she rushed past him to grab the man's hand. "You know him?"

She grinned at him. "Remember a few days back, when I came home with that book on circular needles and enough supplies to knit two pairs of socks for everyone in the house? He was buying a book from the some vendor, and we got to talking. He's a Guild historian."

Demeios sighed. "Ah, yes. About that…I'm afraid I have a favor to ask you. That's your vanship out front, right? Are you by any chance a navigator?"

She frowned, thinking before she spoke. "Is this about that book on the blue planet you said you wanted to write?"

He had the good grace to look sheepish. "Yes. You see, there's supposed to be the ruins of a city from the old days about a hundred miles northwest of here, and I was wondering…"

"You were wondering if one of us could take you." Dio's voice was flat. Demeios took a few steps backwards, meeting his gaze for the first time.

"Ah…Dio Eraclea. Those rumors were true." He paused, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry to have bothered you; I understand you value your privacy."

As he turned to leave, Dio asked, "What was it you were saying about the remnants of a city?"

The other man's eyes lit up. "Oh, it's wonderful! One of the men from town—Aeson, I think—was flying reconnaissance over the area. He spotted a large structure of some kind that looked like it might have been a building, so he flew closer and realized it was actually the ruins of an old city! Considering the area we're in, it might be Lionsgate!"

Dio grinned, remembering his old history lessons. "The city where the Guild's weather machines were invented, right?"

Demeios nodded excitedly. "Aeson hurt his back, and he's willing to let me borrow his vanship until it heals. Will you help me?"

_If that's true, then this is the chance of a lifetime! And…I'll get to fly with Luciola again…_ Dio winced. _But he wasn't asking me; he was only looking for one person._

Daphne flashed him a smile before turning back to Demeios. "Of course I'll help you. But you know…it could be dangerous out there, and it might do us good to have a bodyguard or two. Why don't we take your friend's vanship, and…let's see…Dio, would you and Luciola mind accompanying us in my vanship? Is the day after tomorrow okay with you?"

Dio was so happy he thought he might burst. "Luciola, did you hear? We get to explore a place from before the Disaster! Isn't that great?"

Demeios jumped as he noticed Luciola for the first time. Luciola ignored him.

"Yes—_oof_."

Dio had hugged him fiercely, giggling with sheer joy. _I get to fly with Luciola again!_

&

"An escort?" Luciola couldn't quite keep a hint of skepticism from creeping into his voice. _She was perfectly fine traveling with me, and she'd only known me for a few weeks. Why is this so different?_

Daphne shrugged. "Well, I've only known the guy for a week, and I'd feel better with you and Dio around. Besides, you saw the look on Dio's face—he was so happy at the thought of flying with you again. You can't possibly expect me to believe you don't want to fly with him."

He sighed and cast a glance out the window. Dio was scrambling over Daphne's vanship excitedly, goggles slung around his neck. Demeios was standing by his own vanship, checking his watch. _Of course I want to fly with him. I just don't trust that man… _"Where is Demeios from? Did he tell you?"

Daphne frowned. "I don't recognize the name, but…Kyprus, he said, near Minagis. Why?"

"No reason." _Kyprus…that was a Guild outpost, weather machine number 532. It broke down five years ago. Could that have something do to with why he's so interested in Lionsgate?_

Dio waved to them from outside. "Let's get going already!"

Luciola sighed as Daphne hefted her bag onto her shoulder. He was traveling light—just his knife and a tool kit. Privately, he thought that they could afford not to hurry. After all, several-millennia-old ruins probably weren't going to disappear overnight.

Their flight was blessedly short and easy. Demeios had gotten one of the local printers to copy Aeson's maps, but the area was so flat that they almost weren't needed. Dio refrained from making too many flashy moves; while this made Luciola grateful for the sake of his map, he couldn't help feeling slightly uneasy. _This isn't like him._

They landed as close to the ruined city as they dared; Dio was so eager to start exploring that he jumped out as soon as they landed, grabbing Luciola's hand. ""Come on!"

Demeios did not grab Dio's arm to hold him back—apparently he'd figured out that Luciola wouldn't allow anyone else to touch him—but his hand hovered above the boy's shoulder before pulling back. "Not yet. This site is at least ten thousand years old; we have to proceed slowly and with great caution."

Luciola sighed. _I suppose it was too much to hope that we'd get out of here quickly._

&

Dio couldn't help a shiver of excitement as he took in his surroundings. Most of the city had long since rusted away, but the frames of some of the original buildings could still be seen. In certain places, the gravel and concrete that had once made up the roads and sidewalks littered the ground in slabs. Through rusted beams and the hanging vines that clung to them, he saw a vast, hulking structure. His grip on Luciola's hand unconsciously tightened.

Next to him, Demeios had been scribbling furiously in a notebook as they walked. Dio had cast a few curious glances over his shoulder and found it to be full of sketches and notes. Now the older man followed his line of sight. "That's the building Aeson described! Let's get a closer look."

Sometime during the walk over slabs of rock and through tall grass, Demeios put his pen away and offered his free arm to Daphne, who took it with a deep blush. Dio caught Luciola's eye and smirked, relaxing his grip on the other's hand long enough to just barely brush against his leg with his fingertips. A pleasant jolt ran through him at the contact, intensified by the sight of Luciola's face turning pink. _Interesting…his ears go all red, too._

Finally, they drew to a stop in front of the building. Up close, Dio could see that it had once been a huge rectangular edifice with many stories. _What did my tutors call those? Oh, right—a 'skyscraper.' People were so primitive back then._ The walls were crumbling into rubble, and moss was growing on them. A metal sign of some sort lay on the ground, nearly obscured by dust. Dio crouched down and wiped a layer of dirt off it, ignoring Demeios' cry of indignation. He didn't recognize the markings it bore. "Hey, can you read this?"

"Lionsgate Weather Research Institute."

Dio's head snapped up. Behind him, he heard Daphne gasp. A Guild woman was standing in front of them. What drew his attention was not her sudden appearance or brightly colored dress, but her hair. _White. White white hair, blue eyes, a Guild mark…_ He curled into himself with a whimper. It was Luciola's hand on his shoulder that gave him the strength to look up again and meet the woman's gaze. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

She smiled. It was not a nice smile. "It's such a pleasure to meet you at last, Lord Dio. My name is Aega."

_Aega?_ He frowned. _Isn't that a butterfly name? I'll ask Luciola later. He knows about things like that. She didn't give a surname either; maybe she used to be a servant? But she's dressed so ornately, and she had to have had someone do her hair for her with those braids…hmm._

Demeios glared at her. "This place is supposed to be an untouched ruin. Why are you here?"

Aega giggled and motioned them forwards. "The same reason you are; research. I suspect I'm farther along than you, though. Don't you know what this building was for?"

Dio stood up. She was taller than him, but only due to her platform shoes. _I remember this. My tutors spent days drilling this into my head. _"It was the place where the people of Earth developed technology that would enable them to control the weather."

She clapped her hands together in delight. "You must have paid attention in your history class, my lord. Yes, and the people who developed that technology were our ancestors. This world was dying, you see."

"What are you talking about? Earth, a disaster, a dying world, weather machines…you're not making any sense to me." Daphne crossed her arms and glared. "Now, maybe I'm just a regular human, but I'd like some explanations here. I don't know about any of this stuff; I just came because…" She cast a glance at Demeios and blushed.

Aega sighed. "Of course you wouldn't know; you're not a Guild member. Very well, because you travel with Lord Dio, I'll explain. This place, which we now call the blue planet, was called Earth by its original inhabitants. It's much larger than Prester, and there was much more diversity…before the Disaster, that is. A little over ten thousand years ago, the different countries and political leaders of this planet went to war with one another. Afterwards, large sections of the planet could no longer support life. In order to preserve the human race and give the planet time to heal, the best and brightest of the planet took to the stars and created a new world—Prester."

Daphne blinked slowly. "…So then, since Prester is an artificial world…the weather has to be man-made as well. That explains this place, at least. What happened? Why is Prester decaying?"

Demeios winced as he replied. "The weather machines that kept everything alive started to break down shortly after Delphine became the Maestro. The three remaining high noble families thought she should be doing something about it, like her father would have done. In return, she wiped them out. She didn't care about her people or the people of Prester; the people in my hometown were left to maintain a burned-out wreck in the sky without any funding or help from her. When she died…" He shrugged. "There were people dancing in the halls."

Aega chuckled. "I can certainly sympathize with that. Now that I've answered your question, you have to answer mine, Lord Dio."

His eyes narrowed. _Don't call me that._ "What?"

She motioned to the others. "What are you doing with this rabble? Especially when you could be helping to make this world a better place for everyone? The Guild were the ones who created Prester; shouldn't this world also have people to guide it into a new age? Your sister may have set a bad example, my lord, but your father wouldn't have let this new world struggle on its own. Why don't you come with me and help make this world better?"

Luciola's fingers had long since intertwined with his. Now his hold tightened, and his other hand clenched in a fist. "We're leaving."

Demeios spluttered. "But—my research—t-those ruins…you're just going to…?"

Luciola fixed him with a look of such severity that even Dio winced. "I _said_ we're _leaving_. If it's that important to you, you can go alone next time."

He sighed. "Fine. I filled up this notebook anyway, and I don't have another with me." He smiled at Daphne. "Can I ask you to be my navi again, if we come back here?"

She blushed and nodded.

They missed seeing Aega smile as they walked away.

&

There was dinner left over for them when they got home. Dunya's siblings were bursting with questions, which Luciola deflected to Dio. Neither of them felt like talking much. Daphne, though she tried to subdue her enthusiasm out of respect for Luciola's obvious dislike of the topic, couldn't help replying when Irena started teasing her about Demeios.

As they lay in bed that night, Dio wrapped his arms around Luciola's waist. "Hey, Luciola…"

He lay very still, trying to ignore his racing heart. "Yes?"

"I don't want this world to end up like Prester, with the Guild ruling over everything again. If I run into that woman again, she'll try to convince me to follow in my sister's footsteps, and I'll never do that. But…you don't think she'll stay at Lionsgate that long, right? There must be other sites to interest her."

He was quiet, thinking. _Something about that woman was highly unsettling. Her words were nothing but polite to Dio, but I have a feeling that she'll stop at nothing to achieve her goal, and she'll use him to do it. The last thing we should do is go back there, but…_ He remembered the way Dio's eyes had lit up as they walked through the ruins, trying to take in as much as he could. _He really does like places like that._ "…There are other places to interest you as well, my lord."

Dio sighed. "Mmm, you're right. And you'll be right by my side every step of the way, won't you?"

In return, Luciola rolled over to face him, pulling him a little closer. "Yes." _No matter where you lead me, I will follow. Even if that path leads me into hell itself. _


	3. Dark Branded Swift

Luciola sighed. Once again, Dio's hold on him was preventing him from getting out of bed. That would not normally be a bad thing—after all, it was nice and warm, and for a moment he was content to lie in bed and listen to Dio's heartbeat. However, he could smell breakfast being made, and his stomach grumbled.

Dio stirred, sliding a hand over Luciola's chest. His eyes blinked open, slowly. "Morning…"

He winced as Dio pushed his hair off his face, revealing those horrible scars. "Good morning. They're making breakfast, you know. Can you smell it?"

"Hmmm." He started to trace swirling patterns with his fingertips over Luciola's chest and ribs, seemingly without much interest. Luciola had to fight to keep from squirming.

"L-lord Dio, maybe we should eat before it goes cold."

Dio smirked, rubbing the thin material of Luciola's shirt between his fingers. "…And if I said I wanted to stay in bed…? What would you do, Luciola?"

He felt his face heat up. _He's joking. He must be joking. There is no possibility of him actually being serious…is there?_ "Ummm…"

They were close together to begin with, but now Dio drew closer. "Well?"

Luciola gulped, feeling his heart pound. Suddenly, he was acutely aware of just how warm Dio was, pressing himself against his side.

"Ah, Lord Dio…"

Someone knocked on the door. "Hey, guys! Breakfast! Hurry up; I have to wake Claus up and you don't want him to eat everything first, do you?" From the voice, it was definitely Lavie, and she sounded extremely agitated.

Dio pulled away so fast he was left dizzy. "Oooh, breakfast! I'm starving, let's eat."

He watched dumbfounded as Dio pulled on his shoes and socks before heading out the door, leaving him alone.

And then he got up._ I hope the bathroom is vacant…I feel like I need a shower. A cold one._

&

The vanship shed was still being expanded. Today, Luciola had been cajoled into helping, so Dio sat in front of the house to watch him help assemble the plywood boards that would make up part of the new wall. If he tilted his head at the right angle, he could see Luciola's muscles flex under his shirt as he and Alister struggled to hold the boards steady for Mullin to hammer them together.

Daphne sat next to him, carrying a bundle of yarn and a needle. As she sat on the ground, careful to spread out her black skirt, he saw that she was knitting something that might one day be a blue and green scarf. She didn't stop knitting as she spoke. "Dio, you and Luciola grew up together, didn't you? So you must know each other pretty well."

Dio nodded without really paying attention. Luciola was bending over to pick up another board.

Daphne waved a hand in front of his face. "Umm, hi? You know Luciola very well, don't you?"

He blinked at her. "Yes, of course."

"And you're his best friend, right?"

He nodded emphatically. _Where is she going with this?_

She lowered her voice to ensure that only he could hear her. "If you're his best friend…you're being kind of unfair to him."

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

She glared at him. "Okay, I've only known him for a little over two months, and I've only known you for a week and a half, so I can't really tell what your relationship with him was like. But…he came back from the _dead_ for you, Dio. Isn't it a little unfair of you to lead him on like you've been doing?"

Dio smirked. "I have no idea what you mean."

Her eyes narrowed. "I've seen the way he looks at you, and I've seen the way you act around him. If you're not really interested in him, it's not fair of you to keep teasing him with the possibility, especially since it's pretty clear how he feels about you. I consider myself his friend, and I don't want you stringing him along if you're not willing to go further."

Dio rested his head in his hands, watching Luciola work. The wall was slowly but surely going up; they'd have to borrow a ladder from the neighbors for the rest. _Teasing him?_ He sighed, remembering the way Luciola had responded that morning. _I guess you could say that. But… _"It's the only way for me."

Daphne was working a complicated pattern of stripes into the scarf, so her reply was slightly distracted. "Hmm?"

He paused, unsure if he should go on. _Luciola considers himself my servant. My friend, but my servant first and foremost, no matter how many times I tell him we're not part of the Guild anymore. If I was any more straightforward, he'd go along with me even if it was something he didn't really want to do. And…I couldn't do that to him._ Finally, he shrugged. "It's fun to watch him get all flustered."

She sighed and shook her head, saying nothing. He motioned to the knitting she held. "Is that for Demeios?"

She went red. "Yes, as a matter of fact it is. I thought he might want a scarf for when it gets cold—he was shivering all through the flight yesterday, you know. I wanted to get this done by the time he finishes typing up his notes."

He poked it curiously. The yarn was soft. "Do you think he'll appreciate it?"

"And just what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

He snorted, remembering the vest the historian had worn the other day. "His tastes seem to run more towards colors that aren't found in nature."

Any reply she might have made was cut off by Dunya opening the door behind her. "Hey, lunch is ready if you want it."

Daphne stood up slowly, offering a hand to Dio. He disdained it, springing to his feet and stretching extravagantly—Luciola had glanced over at the house at Dunya's call. _Might as well give him something to stare at._

&

Luciola knew he was staring, but he couldn't quite seem to tear his eyes away from the window. Unconsciously, he started to grind his teeth together.

Dio was chatting with Claus and Tatiana outside. He couldn't hear their conversation, but he suspected it was something about vanships and terminal velocity. What truly got his attention, though, was the way his master was hanging all over the boy and smiling at everything he said. _Why? Why in the name of all things good and decent is he so fascinated with that idiot? He can't fight or fly combat missions to save his life, and I know he's never so much as thought about synthesizing a new and deadly type of poison for an extra credit project. What makes him so special?_

"Hey, are you alright?"

He twitched. Lavie came up behind him, carrying the rest of the plates from that morning's breakfast. "If you're going to stand there, you could at least help me wash the dishes."

He must have looked incredulous, because she rolled her eyes and shoved a plate into his hand. "Luciola. Dunya's not feeling well, Alister is working on her vanship, Daphne is going to the trouble of washing everyone's laundry in the bathtub, Irena took her brothers and sister into town for the day, and you can see where the others are. That leaves me and you, since Mullin breaks every plate he touches. Just because you've finished expanding the shed doesn't excuse you from helping around the house. So _wash_."

He stared at the plate he now held. _Okay…this isn't exactly bio-engineering, but I think I can do this._ Lavie sighed and handed him a dishrag and a bar of soap.

"Get to it."

They worked in silence until Lavie put down the cup she had been scrubbing to stare out the window. He followed her line of sight to see Claus blushing at something Tatiana had said. Dio was laughing at Claus' face; he felt a surge of rage at the sight. His hand tightened on the handle of the knife he had been trying to clean.

Lavie noticed this and patted his shoulder awkwardly, as she was almost a head shorter than him in his new body. "It's frustrating, huh?"

Luciola blinked. "I'm sorry?"

She returned to staring out the window. For a second, he thought she saw tears in her eyes. "He's so oblivious. Both of them are."

_Claus…has no idea how she feels? But it was so obvious while they were on the Silvana. I had thought they were already a couple, but I suppose I was wrong. As for Lord Dio…_ "What are you talking about?"

"You weren't the only one who was upset by Dio hanging all over Claus on the Silvana."

The knife was as clean as it would ever be. He reached for a saucer and started wiping it down. _Upset? That's one way of putting it. There's nothing I could have done, though. He is my master, and I am his servant. I have no say in what he chooses to do. But Claus and Lavie…_ He spoke.

"Why don't you go outside and get some fresh air? I can handle the rest of the dishes."

She blinked and turned red. "Umm…okay. Try not to break anything; we need all the cutlery we can get."

He watched her join the group outside. Then, with a sigh, he turned back to his chore. The dishes weren't going to wash themselves. _Besides, the sooner I finish up here, the sooner I can join Lord Dio._

&

Dio flopped onto the bed with a yawn, staring up at the ceiling. He was bored. There were only so many topics of conversation he could dredge up and expect to be understood by most of the household. _Irena, Nikos and Alvis seem to be pretty interested in the Odysseid, though. I think I'll go into town one of these days and try to find them some more history books. It's not like there's anyone else I can really talk about that with._ As patient and understanding as Luciola was, Dio had noticed his eyes tended to glaze over when their tutors had started to expound on the details of long-ago battles and treaties.

He closed his eyes and let his thoughts wander. _I can't believe it's only been four days since we went to Lionsgate. That place was amazing; it's been preserved so well that you'd never be able to tell its age by looking at it. This planet really healed well. But then again, the Disaster barely touched this part of the continent. Maybe by the time Demeios is done with his notes, that woman won't be there anymore. _He shivered. _She knew me. That's not exactly rare—my photos were passed out to all the Guild cities—but still, it's very unsettling. But then again…the man who sold me that knife didn't know me._

He had left it under his bed, where it had collected dust for two weeks. Now he reached down and picked it up, pulling it from its sheath to watch the light shine on the dark metal. He had used knives like it before, in combat training, but it had never been his favorite type of weapon. _Give me a sword any day. Or better yet, a spear; then I don't have to get so close._

Idly, he spun it in circles. The brass wire on the hilt needed to be polished. _Luciola was always good with knives; I wonder if he'd like this._

As if on cue, the door creaked open and Luciola stepped inside. He stopped in the doorway when he noticed the knife. "Lord Dio?"

He couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Now many times do I have to tell you that there's no need to call me that anymore?"

"…My apologies." His eyes were fixated on the knife Dio was twirling between his fingers. "Lord Dio, where did you get that?"

Dio shrugged. "Bought it in town a few weeks back. Do you like it?"

Instead of answering directly, Luciola knelt and unzipped his bag to pull out a knife in a worn sheath. "It's supposed to be part of a set. I seem to have the other one."

Dio grinned, springing up from the bed to compare the two side by side. "You do! This is great! And I've got the original case—here." He pulled the knife out of Luciola's unresisting fingers and set it into the other end of the sheath. "See? It's like the knives you used to use. Where'd you find yours?"

"On Exile. An old man was selling it for 35 Claudia."

He snickered as he handed the knives to Luciola. "Thirty-five? I think you were cheated; I got mine for five because the guy who sold it said it was bad luck."

Luciola's expressions never changed much, but Dio could tell he was upset. He ran his fingers over the knives in their sheath, turning it over in his hands before speaking. "There's a name on this. Lord Dio, you were always better at history than I was; do you recognize the name 'Pelopidas'?"

Dio nearly tore the sheath out of Luciola's hands for a better look. Sure enough, the belt clip was inscribed with the faded name of Pelopidas. _No way…the famous warrior?_ "In that case, it's even more fitting for you to have these."

Luciola blinked. "Why?"

He elaborated. "Pelopidas was a servant of my family—I think his name refers to a genus of butterfly. Anyway, he was this legendary fighter who fought against overwhelming odds in the rebellion thirty years ago. You remember learning about it, don't you? It was what allowed my father to marry my mother, since her family didn't exactly approve. Losing their most skilled warriors in a single night thanks to Pelopidas pretty much changed their minds. Too bad he died killing the last guy, though. But isn't it cool? You get to own his knives!"

Luciola's gaze drifted from the knives to Dio's face. "Lord Dio…thank you."

Dio swallowed and, with difficulty, tore himself away from Luciola's eyes. _Really, it shouldn't be allowed for anybody's irises to be that green._ "Don't mention it. But you know, since you have weapons again…there wouldn't really be any difficulties if we went back to Lionsgate with Demeios next time. After all, you'll protect me from Aega, won't you?"

He sighed. Then, slowly, he nodded. "As long as you stay with me."

Dio dropped the knives to hug him, resting his head on his shoulder. "I will." _I have no doubt that he'll protect me when I need it. After all, that's what he's always done. And maybe one day I'll get a chance to repay him._


	4. Brown Tailed Moth

Breakfast in the house was always quiet. Most of the house was still half-asleep, and those that weren't were too busy eating. Luciola wasn't especially hungry, but he made himself eat anyway. Dunya didn't eat at all.

Daphne broke the silence. "You know, I saw a sewing machine for sale in town the other day."

Dunya shifted her eggs around on her plate. "And?"

She shrugged. "I was thinking…if someone could help me lug the thing home, I could set myself up as a seamstress or something, bring some money into the house. I'm pretty good at sewing and things like that. It would mean less work for you and Lavie too, since you wouldn't have to keep darning clothes. What do you think?"

Dunya poked a slice of bacon with her fork. "Sounds like a great idea. Hey, anybody else want this? I haven't touched it."

Aleksander beamed; he had already eaten his own portion. With a sigh, Dunya handed him the plate. Mullin frowned. "Dunya, you have to eat, especially since you weren't feeling well the other day."

She winced. "I just haven't been hungry lately, that's all. I'll make myself a sandwich later or something."

"Well, if you're sure you're okay…"

The conversation moved on, and Luciola returned to his food, half-listening as Alister brought up the sighting of caterpillars on the forsythia bushes in the garden and Nikos was coaxed into talking about the latest chapter of the _Odysseid_. He barely tasted his food. Next to him, Dio had somehow gotten jam on his fingers. He was licking it off slowly, making little noises of pleasure. It was more than a little distracting. _I wish he wouldn't do that. Does he have any idea how that looks?_

Dio caught his eye and gave him a faint smirk. Luciola felt his face heat up, his unspoken question answered. Mercifully, a disgusted Lavie shoved a stack of paper napkins in Dio's direction. "Here. I swear you're worse than Claus sometimes."

Although he had never really spoken to the girl and rather resented her comparing his master to Claus, Luciola thought he had never been more grateful to her then at that moment.

A creaking sound caught his attention—Irena had leaned forward in her chair, resting her elbows on the table until a significant glance from Dunya made her straighten up. "Hey Daphne, that guy you went with last week—Demeios, right? What's he like?"

She grinned. "A bit too old for you, if that's what you're thinking. He's really nice, though. You know, he said he's got a "master's degree" in history, whatever that means. Sounds like hard work. He used up an entire notebook taking notes on that trip we went on—remember I was telling you about Lionsgate? He said we can go back once he's done writing up his notes."

Alvis beamed. "Can you bring back souvenirs or something?"

Daphne shook her head. "It's not that kind of place. It doesn't look like it, but it's really old and I don't think taking bits of it home is such a good idea."

"Oh…it sounded interesting. I kind of wanted to see it."

Dio spoke up. "Demeios had a lot of sketches in his notebook, from what I saw. Depending on his drawing abilities, you might get to see it after all."

&

No matter how crowded the house now was, one good thing about sharing it with more people was that the necessary chores could be divided up—not more evenly, but in ways that ensured at least one person wouldn't have anything to do for the day. Thus, Dio was free for at least a few hours depending on how long he could avoid Lavie.

He went down to the stream, careful to give the garden a wide berth; they were weeding, and he didn't particularly want to spend hours wrestling with crabgrass. There was a tiny green fish swimming against the current. As he watched, a bigger fish caught up to it and swallowed it whole. _Ouch, poor fishie._

As he watched the sunlight reflect on the water, his mind began to wander back to the morning's breakfast. _Luciola is cute when he blushes like that. Hmm…I'll have to eat like that more often if that's the reaction he has every time. As for Lionsgate, how long does it take to write up legible copies of notes? His were mostly sketches, from what I saw. Does he plan on recopying those, too? I wish he'd hurry up; I'd like to have somebody to talk to about that place. _

He rolled over, staring at the shifting clouds. _I'm bored…Maybe I'll go into town and see if anyone's selling history books. Or maybe something science-y for Luciola._

There was something going on back at the house; he could make out the sounds of children's voices, too many for just Dunya's siblings. When he heard Tatiana's voice raised in surprise, he decided to investigate. After all, it might be something interesting, or at least chaotic.

He found a group of children in front of the house, clustered by Tatiana and Alister's vanship. Tatiana herself was off to the side, trying in vain to answer the rapid-fire questions three of the youngest children were asking her. He drew closer. Alister was patiently explaining the inner workings of the vanship to a girl with ribbons in her hair.

She looked up when he approached. "Oh, Dio. Umm, we're a little busy right now…did you want something?"

He shook his head. "What's with the crowd?"

The little girl piped up, "Katya and Nikos were talking about the vanships here. I'd never seen one before, so they took me with them."

"You've never seen a vanship before? Poor…kid…" For the first time, he looked down at the girl. Her hair, which he had taken to be brown at first, was actually more gray than anything else, and her ears were just a bit pointed. _She's Guild._ "So how do you like it so far?"

She beamed. "It's so cool! Can you teach me? Alvis said you know how to fly too."

He hesitated. _Me? _"Why don't you get Alister or Tatiana to teach you? They're better than I am at flying."

As the girl turned back to Alister, Dio scanned the crowd for Irena. At thirteen, she was the second oldest of the Scheer siblings and usually the one in charge. If nothing else, she would be able to corral the younger ones into something approaching order. He found her chattering away with another girl, who waved to him as he approached.

"Oh, hi!"

He twitched. _I know her from somewhere. Reddish hair, gray eyes…_ "Excuse me, I seem to have forgotten your name."

Irena offered him a friendly smile. "This is Lysimache, the butcher's niece. She's a friend of mine."

The girl in question smiled. "I met you in town once, remember? How've you been?"

"Well…" _I'm certainly doing better than I was before_. "Just fine. And you?"

She shrugged. "Been doin' okay. I know you must want your privacy, and I'm sorry to bother you, but my brother's one of Nikos' friends and my mother will kill me if I let him out of my sight so…here I am. She doesn't need another excuse to ground me."

"Hey, what's going on here?"

The conversations ground to a halt as Lavie opened the front door. Instead of waiting for an answer, she motioned to Dio. "Unless you want to help me clean, you have to help the boys in the garden." She sighed and scanned the crowd. "And please tell me one of you brought back groceries."

Dio made his way through the house to the garden. Mullin and Luciola were working at the back of the garden in silence. Claus was kneeling on the ground by the forsythia; he looked up when Dio approached. "Glad you're here."

"What do you want me to do?"

He handed him a pair of gloves. "Put these on. These caterpillars sting. I need you to check the bushes; if you find any, pull them off and squish them."

Dio sighed and went to work. The caterpillars were dark brown and hairy, not quite fuzzy enough to be cute. "Hey, Luciola. What are these?"

Luciola shrugged. "Stinging caterpillars, the larvae of the brown-tailed moth. I would be extremely careful if I were you, my lord."

Dio pulled another one off the bush and looked at it. "They're not cute at all, but I feel kind of bad for them."

"Don't." Luciola came up behind him and took it out of his hand, grinding it under his boot. "They'd eat everything in the garden if you left them alone. Cute or not, some pests need to be eradicated."

&

It took two days to be sure that the moths were gone completely. On the third day, Luciola went out. He had gotten into the habit of practicing with his knives on days when there was no one around, and today was such a day. Dunya was taking a nap as usual, Lavie was waging a war on the clutter which had recently piled up, Daphne was making something on her new sewing machine, and Alister and the children were in town for the day; she had mentioned something about a new tool kit before she left. To be honest, Luciola didn't care where Claus was, as long as he was nowhere around him.

He went out into the road and drew his knives in a single, fluid motion. His muscles were stiff as he first began to move, and he was painfully reminded of a simple fact. _This isn't my original body, after all. I suppose I'll just have to work harder. _The noon sun flashed on the dark metal of the blades, and he slid his eyes shut against the glare. His training methods were engraved in his mind; he didn't need to see. Imaginary enemies floated behind his eyelids.

_Step, turn, and strike. Stab. Reverse the grip; a slicing cut to the abdomen. The enemy counters; block with the left hand and strike back with the right. Dodge. Step forward, twist around the enemy's guard, and slash. The enemy falls. Jump back to avoid the blood._

He opened his eyes. He was breathing hard, an unwelcome change from his old body. There was someone coming up the road, so he returned his knives to their sheath at the small of his back.

The stranger turned out to be a Guild man of indeterminate age with thinning brown hair, clutching a clipboard and a pen. He nodded politely to Luciola. "Pardon me, young man. This is the residence of Dio Eraclea, correct?"

_Dio! He's down by the stream; this man must not have seen him from the road. What does he want? _"And if it is?"

The man bowed. "Forgive my intrusion. I am Gaius Sallust; I'm writing a book about the fall of the Guild, and I heard that he lived here. Does he? I would like to ask him a few questions, if it's not too much trouble."

"…He is not here at the moment."

Sallust paused, obviously thinking hard. "Is anyone else here? Miss Head, Mr. Valca? Perhaps Miss Hamilton?"

Luciola's hands unconsciously balled into fists. "Lady Alvis is _eleven_ _years_ _old_. You are _not_ going to interrogate her, make her relive that terrible day, for the sake of your _book_."

The older man winced. "I am truly sorry to bother you, but this book is vitally important to the future of this world. Please, young man. Do you know anybody else I could talk to?"

His eyes narrowed. "No."

"Well, what about you? You live here, right? What's your name?"

_This insignificant louse will not give up!_ Luciola rested his hands on his hips, in a position that ensured he could draw his knives quickly if the need arose. Although he tried to appear calm, he was trembling with barely-suppressed anger. _He thinks he can come here and disrupt our lives, make my lord and Lady Alvis remember that day, just for his pathetic book. _"Luciola."

Sallust either didn't notice his anger, or didn't care. "Wonderful! You must be the one Mr. Eraclea told me about. Did you really take down the Guild all by yourself?"

"Mr. Sallust." Luciola realized, with faint surprise, that he was smiling. "You must believe I took down the Guild, or else you would not be here trying to interview me. So, answer this question for me, please." He drew his knives, in a gesture that could not possibly be mistaken for anything other than a threat. "Why are you here? I destroyed the entire Guild in a day to protect my lord; I don't believe one such as you will pose that much of a challenge. Knowing that, why have you come here? You don't have a death wish, do you?"

Sallust had gone very pale. "Well, for knowledge, and—and for the sake of history, I…well…"

He twirled the knives between his fingers idly. "For knowledge? Then, sir, please know this. If you see anyone from this household in town, do not speak to them, do not look at them, and do not touch them. And if you come here again…well. Let me say that I truly doubt you will be much missed by the rest of the townspeople in the event of your disappearance."

Sallust bolted back down the path. Luciola watched him go, only daring to relax once he was well out of sight. _Oh, Lord Dio…will we ever be truly free of the Guild? Or will I have to fend off people like him for the rest of our lives?_

&

Later that night, Dio looked out of his bedroom window. There was a bright star to the north. _Exile. It's coming back so soon? It's only been a few weeks. Then again, there can't be much more people left on Prester by now._

Luciola knocked once as a courtesy before entering. Dio saw that his hair was still damp from the shower. His roots were growing in dark, giving him an odd, two-tone appearance. "What are you looking at, my lord?"

"See that star out there, that bright one? That's…" He trailed off. Luciola was stretching languidly as he pulled his shirt off, like a cat in the sun. Dio felt his mouth go dry. _Wow. He has no idea how good he looks like that._

He blinked. "Yes?"

Dio made a point of allowing his eyes to linger on Luciola's form for a moment before pointing out the window. "Exile's coming."

Luciola sat on the bed next to him, following his line of sight. "I didn't think it would be back so soon."

Dio slowly slid his fingers over Luciola's back and shoulder. He shivered at the contact. "It comes back every month. The town will be unbearably crowded when it finally lands. You know, I heard from Daphne that Demeios is almost finished with his notes. Let's go back to Lionsgate with him when he's done; by the time we get back, the fuss from Exile landing will be over. What do you think?"

Luciola nodded. The light was too dim to see, but Dio thought he was blushing. "If you wish, my lord."

He barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes as he rested his head on Luciola's shoulder. _No matter what I do, no matter how many hints I drop…_ "You _have_ to get out of that habit."

This time, he was sure of it. Luciola was smiling.


	5. Metalmark Butterfly

Demeios and his vanship came back the next day. While Daphne got ready and Luciola packed, Dio went out to meet him. "So I guess you finished writing up your notes?"

The older man nodded rapidly, holding up a thick, leather-bound book. "It's all in here; it'll form my masterpiece someday. I brought more books on Lionsgate, too—just in case you're interested."

Grinning, Dio flipped himself neatly onto the hull of the vanship and walked along it to the pilot's seat. There was a bulging canvas bag in the storage space under the seat. "This? Can I see them?"

"Yeah, sure."

He sat down on the hull, fanning out the selection of books before him. _Wow. Lucretius, Hesiod, Quintilian, Suetonius…wait. _"Sallust? _He_ wrote a book about the blue planet?"

Demeios glanced at the title Dio held up for perusal. "It's not very good, but it does have some information you won't find anywhere else. Have you read his work before?"

Dio snorted. "Read it? He wants to make me the subject of his next book! He actually asked me for an interview a few weeks ago. Obviously I turned him down, but I don't think he's given up yet." His mind flashed back to the day before. _Now that I think about it, I thought I saw him coming down the road to the house…Luciola must have met him there. No wonder he was so quiet during dinner._

He shrugged. "I'm sorry to hear that. I hope he hasn't been too annoying. I could talk to him for you, if you'd like; get him to stop being so aggressive. He knows me."

Dio blinked. _He knows that pushy jerk?_ "How can you stand being around him?"

"…I can't." He shrugged. "But we're colleagues, and since I haven't published anything yet, it's good to have a connection with someone who has. The fact that he can't write worth beans is a bit unfortunate, though."

Daphne pushed open the front door. She was carrying her bag in one hand and a rolled-up bundle in the other. "Um, Demeios…"

Dio would have had to be blind to miss how Demeios brightened at the sight of the woman. "Daphne! I'm sorry I couldn't drop by more often, but I was so busy I barely even had time to sleep. How've you been?"

She smiled nervously. "Fine. But, um. I remembered you shaking on our last flight, and I figured you must have been cold, so, err…I made you this scarf and I hope you like it." She shoved the bundle into his arms, and he unrolled it slowly. Dio had to admit she'd done a good job; the scarf was a mix of different shades of blue and green, with bright chartreuse trim.

"Wow, this—this is really nice!" He beamed and wrapped it securely around his neck. "And it's really soft, too. But…you didn't really have to go to all this trouble for me."

She blushed and would not meet his eyes. "Well…you were cold."

"Excuse me, I need to get by." Luciola tapped her on the shoulder, and she obligingly stepped out of the doorway so he could pass her.

Dio grinned and grabbed his hand. "Come on! This is going to be so much fun."

The higher and faster they flew, the colder it became. Dio's fingers tightened on the controls; he had borrowed gloves from Claus, but they were too big and too loose to stop the wind. His hands shook as he turned the vanship towards Lionsgate. _It's just the wind. Just…just the wind. Right._

He flew slowly, and tried to tell himself it was to allow Demeios and Daphne to keep pace with him.

&

Lionsgate had not changed a bit since their last visit, and so Luciola could not quite fathom why Demeios was still taking notes. _We landed in the same spot as last time. Surely there can't be much of a difference? _Dio, meanwhile, was lugging a bag full of heavy-looking books. _Oh, no. Demeios must have brought those. We'll be here forever now._

Dio latched onto his arm as they followed Demeios. It was slow going, as he stopped periodically to take notes. As they walked, Luciola took in his surroundings. The first and most overwhelming impression that came to mind was silence. Aside from their own footsteps and an occasional exclamation of glee from Demeios, nothing else made a sound. There was no wind, and no signs of animal life.

Something crunched under Dio's feet, and they stopped. It was a skeleton from some small bird; Dio winced and nudged it gingerly with his foot. "Creepy, huh?"

He nodded. _Creepy indeed. That skeleton is the only form of life we've seen since we arrived here. What is going on in this place?_

It wasn't long before the building that had once been the Weather Institute loomed above them. They drew to a halt in front of it. Demeios was the first one to speak. "So…should we go in now?"

Luciola was fairly sure the question had been intended for him, but Dio cut him off before he could answer. "Sure!"

They crossed the threshold. Daphne's boots clicked sharply on the ancient tiles. Luciola glanced around curiously. The first room was large and very dim; the only light came from sunlight streaming through small holes in the ruined wall by the entrance. There were several large, vaguely rectangular openings in the other walls that had once been doors. Demeios was sketching frantically now, and Dio left his position at Luciola's side to inspect the man's drawings.

Eventually Dio fidgeted, obviously bored. Luciola knew why; no matter how interesting his master found something, he could only stay in one place for so long. "Hey, Demeios? There's kind of nothing here except dust and local plant life. And the ceiling tiles really aren't that interesting."

He blinked and looked up. "You can go on if you'd like. I want to stay here for a bit."

The next room was smaller, with no windows or even cracks in the walls. At first, Luciola thought the western wall was covered in a flaking mural, but as his eyes adjusted to the darkness he made out the distinct lines of circuitry. There was a small, closed door set into the wall, covered in the same pattern.

Dio ambled over to the wall. "Hey, check this out. It looks like the inside of a computer or something."

_If he's going to inspect that in detail, we're going to be here a long time._ Luciola sighed and drew his one of his knives. There was a tiny smudge on the guard, and he rubbed at it with his gloved thumb. "Lord Dio, I wouldn't touch that if I were you. That wall is at least ten thousand years old; if you—"

"I'm wearing gloves, aren't I?" Dio drew closer, and his breath stirred the ancient wires. "Interesting. This looks like the diagram Hesiod copied from the Kythera tablet." A single strand of hair touched the wall.

Something deep inside the building rumbled; Luciola had a split-second to panic and reach for Dio before a rusted steel panel clanged down from the ceiling, dividing the room in two. Another panel slid down over the doorway they had entered from. "Lord Dio!"

Dio's voice was slightly muffled, but strong. "I'm fine. One thing you can say about our ancestors—they certainly knew how to build security systems!"

He sighed, resting his forehead against the wall. "Wait there, and _don't_ _move_. I'm coming to get you." He spun around and headed to the blocked doorway. "Demeios, how much do you know about this place?"

There was a pause; Luciola felt a twinge of worry before the older man's voice came through the wall. "It used to be fifty stories high, but only the five lowest floors are still standing. I don't know the layout, but it shouldn't be too hard to go around the security walls as long as this room is the only one."

He nodded. "Good. Wait outside."

Demeios nearly squeaked with indignation. "_What_? This place could fall down around our ears any second, and you're telling us to stay behind? You don't know what you're dealing with! Who—who knows what the rest of the security system consists of?"

Daphne's voice shook slightly. "Don't worry about him, he'll be okay. Let's just do what he says for now."

He heard their footsteps retreating. When he was satisfied that they were, in fact, leaving, Luciola headed for the door set into the opposite wall. _Nothing will happen to my lord. He's just on the other side of that wall. There's nobody here who could possibly harm him…wait. What was that?_ He stood in the doorway, peering into the gloom. For a brief moment, he could have sworn he heard a faint skittering noise. _There isn't anyone else here, is there? Maybe it was a rat, or a bird that was trapped inside._

He took a deep breath and stepped into the hall.

&

Dio sighed and settled down on a less dusty part of the floor, pulling out one of the books he had brought. After what had just happened, he wasn't about to touch any more of the wires if he didn't have to. _I wouldn't normally take Luciola's suggestions—they never lead to anything fun. But that… _He shivered, but not from fright. _That wasn't a suggestion. I've never heard him sound like that before._

He had pulled out a book without looking, and the author's name on the cover made him twitch. _Gaius Sallust. Damn, why does he have to show up everywhere?_

In any case, it was something to read. Demeios had left a pen in the bag, so Dio decided to scan through the book for any particularly glaring mistakes. Judging by Sallust's usual method of gathering information, it was a task that was sure to keep him occupied for a while.

_Hmm, let's see…no, that's not the right word. Here…and here…he directly contradicts Seneca's __History of the Ancients__ and Eutropius' __Brief History of the Southern Empire__. The Western Federation's first strike happened in 3014, not 3012. And this…this is just wrong._

As he read and jotted notes down in the margins, he failed to register the sound of footsteps in the distance.

&

Daphne slumped against the wall with a heavy sigh. "What are we going to do? Demeios, you really don't know anything about the way this place is laid out?"

He winced and shook his head rapidly. "Nothing, absolutely nothing. I really don't feel right leaving that guy—Luciola, right?—out there by himself."

She raised an eyebrow. "You mean to say you don't know? You're a Guilder, who lived through the fall of the Guild, and you haven't connected the dots yet? Or is there another Luciola out there I don't know about?"

For a few minutes, a blank stare was his only reply, before comprehension suddenly dawned. "Luciola. _That_ Luciola? ...Oh. Oh, dear. Remind me never to underestimate him again."

She nodded. "I've never seen him fight, but I saw him get mad once. It was scary."

"Well, he _was_ trained as a bodyguard to the Maestro's son, so that's not exactly surprising. I pity whoever gets in his way." Demeios began shuffling through his notes, frowning intently.

"Is that likely? This is an abandoned ruin. Why would anyone else be here? Unless Aeson told everyone about this place, in which case I'd expect it to be swarming with treasure hunters…but we haven't even seen any animals."

Demeios flinched and pulled out a thin sheaf of paper from his notebook. "Ha, I know. Strange, isn't it? But even without people, this place is still rather dangerous. It's so old; I'm amazed it even survived this long. The security systems still work, but the rest could easily come crashing down around our ears any minute."

As if on cue, something crashed deep within the building; although Daphne knew it was probably a distant wall finally giving way, she instinctively clutched Demeios' arm in fright. "Let's get out of here, okay?"

He sighed wistfully, giving the room one final glance. "Fine, fine."

As Daphne straightened up, her shoulder brushed against a rusted sign on the wall. Something rumbled.

"Oh, no, not _again_!" Demeios grabbed her hand and made a dash for the door, but the security panel slammed down as he reached it. "…We're stuck here. This is bad. This is very, very bad."

Her grip on his hand tightened. "Well, as long as we don't touch anything that looks like it might still be active, we'll be fine, right? We just need to find a hole big enough to get through."

"I don't think it'll be that easy." He pulled his hand free and shuffled through the papers he held. "I recently came into possession of a key containing what we know of the ancients' alphabet. Do you remember what that woman Aega said about this place? That it used to be called the Weather Research Institute?"

She nodded slowly. Somehow, she didn't think she liked where his train of thought was going.

"Well…I looked at the sign as we were going in, and I just now remembered it." He began to flip through the papers rapidly. "Either she was wrong…or she was lying to us. Not outright—the last two words mean what she said they mean—but the last few letters of the first word. Here." He held out a chart. "I wrote down the marks on the sign for reference."

She nearly dropped it from shock as she took it in. "Pi, omicron, nu, sigma…If that's what these symbols stand for…Demeios, we just walked into a _weapons factory_?! And you didn't _warn_ us?"

He paled visibly, stuttering. "Umm, I—that is—Daphne, this place is ten thousand years old! I wasn't expecting anything to still _work_!"

She sighed. "As long as we stick together, we'll be fine, right?"

Demeios' voice was filled with more confidence than he actually felt. "Right."

She chewed on her bottom lip nervously. "We'll be fine…but what about Dio and Luciola? They're on their own somewhere in this place, and we don't know what could be out there with them. Luciola has a pair of knives, and I'm pretty sure he's killed more people than I've knitted socks, but Dio…if he was trained the same way as Luciola, he must at least _know_ how to fight…but he has no weapons. And heaven knows what we're dealing with here."

He patted her shoulder, seeking to reassure her. "It's probably just a fluke that the security walls still work. There's nothing else alive down here that can hurt us."

In the silence that followed his words, they both heard the sound of footsteps drawing closer.


	6. Mourning Cloak

Dio was deeply absorbed in his book. As he read and jotted notes down in the margins, he failed to register the sound of footsteps in the distance.

_That's the wrong homonym…apostrophes do not work that way…He gives no explanation for this contradiction of Suetonius. I swear, when I get out of here I'm going to have some words with the unlucky sap Sallust picked for an editor. Wait. Were those…footsteps? Luciola can't be here yet._

Dio's head snapped up, and the book he was making notes in fell to the floor with a thud. His eyes widened. _Crap. Now whatever's out there knows I'm here!_ He stood up, stretching before sinking into a fighter's crouch. Although his fighting skills were rusty, he had been perfectly capable of holding his own against Luciola the last time they sparred.

The door slid open a few inches. He clenched his fists. It was set into the corner of the room; there was nowhere for him to hide. Whoever was on the other side was wearing gloves as they pulled it open enough to poke their head in.

"Hey, I didn't think the security system even still worked—oh." The newcomer turned out to be a young woman around his age, with multiple piercings in her pointed ears. She grinned at Dio. "You must be the one Lady Aega told us about. I wasn't expecting you to be cute."

He straightened up, careful to appear relaxed. _Cute? Nobody's called me that since I was twelve._ "Who are you and what are you talking about?"

She giggled nervously. "Oh, my name's Inachis. You're Lord Dio, aren't you? Lady Aega told us you'd come back here eventually, that all we had to do was wait. I'm so glad she was right. Oh, come with me, she'll explain everything."

He glared at her and did not move. "Come and get me, if you want."

She frowned, apparently thinking. It looked like hard work. Finally, she glanced at the cover of the book on the floor. "You like history, right? Wouldn't…don't you want to know why this place is still standing? Why the security systems work? Lady Aega can tell you!"

_On one hand, I could be walking into a trap. On the other hand, this is the chance of a lifetime. I can't turn it down._ "So…if I go with you, I'll get to learn everything about this place?"

The girl nodded and held out a hand. "Yeah, let's go!"

He declined the hand, wriggling through the half-open door. The hallway beyond was nearly pitch black, and what dim light there was reflected off her earrings. He kept his eyes fixed on them, so he would know where she was. Strangely, he couldn't quite dispel the feeling that this was a very bad idea.

Dio shook his head. _What am I worrying about? Now that she's opened the door, I can find Luciola on my own once I'm done talking to Aega. She wants me to rule this world; she needs me alive and in a good mood for that. Right?_

&

"'Nothing alive down here,' huh?" Daphne glared at him. "Right."

Demeios winced. "Okay…so I was wrong. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? That's all you have to say? We're stranded in a decrepit ruin that could, as you've said, fall down on us any minute _and_ is full of weapons that may or may not still be working, we've been separated from the two members of our group that can actually _fight_, and we are not alone in here…and all you can say is that you're _sorry_?" Her voice rose with each word, until it ended in a half-hysterical squeak.

He was trembling, and unconsciously wrapped his scarf tighter around himself. Her eyes and voice softened at the sight. "No…I'm the one who should be apologizing. I'm sorry I yelled at you. Let's try to find another way out of here, okay?"

"Well, well, well. What's all the yelling about?"

Demeios spun around to face the newcomer, a Guild man around his age. "Who are you and why are you here?"

The man chuckled. "Oh, come on now, Demeios. You know who I am. Wasn't I your father's best servant?"

He paled. "Eurytides."

Eurytides grinned. "The one and only. And…I have something for you." He reached into one of the many pockets on his oversized coat and threw a bag at the other man's feet. From the metallic clank it made when it hit the ground, it was full of Claudia.

Daphne stared at it. "Demeios…what's going on?"

Eurytides' grin widened. "Oh, your little girlfriend doesn't know? You didn't tell her? Shame on you, Demeios. Go on, speak up. Tell her what you did to earn this money…how you tricked her, pretended to like her in order to get Principal Dio to this place in exchange for the chance to write your precious dissertation."

Her eyes were wide with shock, and the tears gathered at their corners threatened to overflow. "Is…is this true? Did…you really…?"

He could not look at her. "I…"

The other man clapped him on the shoulder. "Of course! Listen, Demeios. Lady Aega doesn't need you right now, so why don't you look around a bit? You might find something worth putting in your book. I'd go with you if Aega didn't need herself a bodyguard to talk to the future Maestro."

As he turned to leave, Demeios picked up the bag, feeling its weight in his hand before flinging it at Eurytides' retreating back. It hit, but the man didn't even pause. "You may as well keep that, pal. You'll need it."

Eurytides faded into the shadows, leaving the two alone. Daphne collapsed to her knees with a thud, ignoring the pain caused by the sudden impact. "…Why?"

Demeios stared at the far wall, refusing to meet her gaze. Finally, he spoke. "Aeson, the friend I told you about…he doesn't exist. Aega knew I was trying to write a book on pre-Disaster civilizations, and she offered me a deal. She told me about this place and gave me a vanship; swore to pay the publication costs for my book if I brought Dio here. I never could have paid for them on my own, so I said yes. At first…well, I didn't know any of you, so it was easy to lie. But when I met you, and talked to you…I started to reconsider my position."

She squeezed her eyes shut, allowing herself to let out a small sob. "If you were having second thoughts, why did you go through with it? That woman…who knows what she'll do to Dio? Not to mention Luciola, wandering around in here all by himself in the dark."

"…I kept telling myself I needed the money. That's why…that's why I…" He rested his forehead against the wall. "I'm sorry. There's nothing else I can say."

Daphne hugged herself, shaking. "So you…you lied to me, you fooled me, you led my friends into a death trap—for your _book_? For fame and glory?"

Slowly, Demeios reached up and unwound his scarf, allowing it to flutter to the floor. "…Yes. I guess…you'll want the scarf back then, Miss Korakos."

Outside, the sun was going down.

&

Dio stumbled after Inachis in the dark. After the first turn they had taken, he had started using Demeios' pen to scratch a line in the right-hand wall, in order to retrace his steps if needed. She chattered mindlessly as she walked, about the weather, her latest piercing, the noble family she had once served. He was relieved when they stopped in front of a vast door. "Lady Aega?"

"The door's open; come in."

Although he couldn't see the walls in the dim half-light, Dio had a sense of an immense, empty space. Aega was sitting on a broken chair in the middle of the room, surrounded by several people whom Dio supposed were her bodyguards. He noticed that one of the men wore a sword at his waist. The light from a hole in the ceiling was focused on her like a spotlight, making her hair ornaments glitter. Dio did not move until Inachis nudged him forward. "What do you want?"

Aega smiled. It was not a pleasant smile. "Is that any way to treat your hostess? I only want to talk to you. Why don't you pull up a chair and sit for a while? That bag looks heavy."

It was, but Dio saw no reason to tell her that. "I'll stand, thanks. Inachis told me that you had some information about this building."

"I do. Would you like to hear it?"

Dio's eyes narrowed. "That is why I came here."

She beamed and clapped her hands together in delight. "Such a smart boy. You take after your father, I see. This building was once a research academy for weapons of mass destruction. As a matter of fact, it was in this building that the Prometheus Project was completed."

Dio flinched. _That's the fission bomb that took out half of the entire continent in one blow. _"None of the components are still active, are they?"

"Hmm." She studied her painted nails. "I don't _think_ they are…although of course I could be wrong. I find that smaller weapons will serve our purpose just as well."

He almost smiled. "'Our' purpose? I think you're mistaken. My purpose is to find out as much about this place as I can and get out; it has nothing at all to do with you."

She didn't move, but her bodyguards fanned out in a circle, surrounding them. "On the contrary, my lord. It has everything to do with me. Tell me…what do you remember about your father?"

"…My father?" Dio frowned. _He died when I was young; Delphine's fault, though I only realized it a few years ago. Why does Aega want to know? _"Well…his name was Cassius Gaius, and he was the Maestro before my sister. He was tall with white hair and hazel eyes, and…he laughed a lot. That's all I really know."

Aega chuckled bitterly. "That's it? Oh, you poor boy. Your father…he was the greatest Maestro the Guild ever had. He stopped a trade war singlehandedly, boosted the economy to new heights, and ended the six-hundred-year feud between the Caprenius and Minos families without a single death on either side. And…he was quite possibly the greatest man of his age."

"You speak as if you knew him personally."

Her gaze was focused beyond him, to a point somewhere on an invisible horizon. "He took me in and named me as one of his personal servants. Even after he married, he treated everyone so well…" She trailed off for a moment and sighed before continuing. "He knew he was dying, towards the end. He sent all his favored servants away, including me. Even at the end of his life, he was noble and kind, and yet he would crush anything that stood in his way. Did you know he killed his brothers and sisters to get rid of his competition?"

Dio nodded slowly. _Yes…Delphine told me about that, when I was younger and asked why we didn't have any aunts or uncles._ "…It was nice to hear about my father, but is there a point to all your reminiscing?"

Her eyes snapped back to his face. "You are the Maestro's son. The blood of a great ruler runs through your veins. Your sister took your chance of ruling Prester away from you, but she opened up a new world! The people need a leader; they are too weak to possibly survive in this world without one. The blue planet is yours for the taking, my lord. All you need do is ask, and I shall give it to you."

"You?" He stood a little straighter. "You just told me that I was meant to rule the world. What could you possibly give to me?"

She smiled. "Power, my lord. The Prometheus Project was developed here. Although no traces remain, this place can still utterly obliterate the former inhabitants of Prester. And I hold the key to its activation. Join me, and I will give it to you. Together, we will be unstoppable, and we will build a new Guild."

It was only with considerable effort that Dio managed not to shake his head in disagreement. _Restore the Guild? Restore the organization that let the world die? No matter how much I might personally like the job…the Eraclea line of Maestros has to end with Delphine. Everyone suffered too much under her to accept me._ "And if I refuse?"

Her smile grew, and the circle of bodyguards tightened around them. "I'll just have to persuade you then. And if I still can't change your mind…well, I suppose it's time for a regime change, anyway."

"Are you actually threatening me? You must know that Luciola will kill you if you hurt me." At this, a gasp seemed to ripple through the bodyguards, and Aega paled. One of her bodyguards, a burly man in an oversized coat, lashed out at Dio. He dodged, but the movement put his back to Inachis, who landed a blow to the back of his neck. He crumpled with a cry of shock, and Aega sighed.

"So stubborn. Ah, well. It can't be helped. Put him in one of the lower rooms and set…let's see…Miltomiges, you've got a sword. You guard him. You,"—she motioned to a handful of guards—"patrol the floor. If Luciola is here, we have to kill him before we can proceed with the plan. The rest of you, follow me."

&

The hallway was dark and winding. Deprived of most of his vision, Luciola gave himself over to his sense of hearing. The heels of his boots thudded almost unnaturally loudly on the floor; he forced himself to step more carefully after one drew a grating squeal out of a loose tile. Something creaked in the distance, and he froze until he was sure it was safe to move again. He moved down the hall slowly. _This body is far inferior to my old one in terms of night vision…good thing Lord Dio isn't around to see me if I fall on my face. Oh, I hope he listened to me and stayed where he was…_

There were footsteps in the darkness, and they were coming closer. He stood as still as possible and drew a knife. Then, light. The girl who rounded a corner ahead of him was carrying a small flashlight, and the sudden brightness made his eyes hurt. She let out a small gasp upon seeing him. Before she could reach for her communicator, he pressed his knife to her throat. "Talk. Who are you?"

"I—Inachis. Who…?"

He kept his voice low, but couldn't stop a note of tension from creeping in. "It doesn't matter. Why are you in this building? Tell me everything, or I'll have to hurt you."

Her voice shook, but held a note of pride nonetheless. "I—I work for Lady Aega…she called a bunch of us here and told us we're going to work under Lord Dio to build a new world order. Tha—that's all I know, please!"

"Where is he? What have you done with Dio?" The knife pressed just a little closer, drawing blood. Luciola's hands were shaking. _So Aega is behind all this. I suspected as much. If Lord Dio is hurt, I swear…_

"I don't know where he is! Y—you'll have to go downstairs, but I don't know exactly what room. I was only supposed to patrol this floor! Lady Aega…she's planning something bad for him."

He ripped the flashlight out of her hand, ignoring her shocked gasp, and sheathed his knife in favor of grabbing her shoulder. "_Where is she_?"

She swallowed nervously. "S—somewhere on this floor, that's all I know. If you run into other patrols, or her personal guards, they might be able to tell you more. Please, let me go! I can't hurt you; I don't even know how to fight!"

"I still can't let you cause trouble for me. My apologies." He pinched a nerve on her neck, sending her into unconsciousness. As she fell, he walked away, thinking. _Aega is somewhere on this floor. I have to find her before I can rescue Lord Dio. This time, I will not falter._


	7. Monarch

Dio opened his eyes to near-total darkness. Cracks in the walls provided his only sources of light as he sat up and glanced around, rubbing the back of his neck. _Where am I? Aega's thugs must have knocked me out…damn, they didn't even take my bag. The light's pretty dim—the sun must be going down. How long was I out?_ Something made a scraping sound outside the door, and his eyes narrowed. _That must be a guard._ "Hey, mind telling me where I am?"

A man's voice answered. "Yes. My apologies, Lord Dio, but Lady Aega has deemed it unwise to tell you that."

He pouted, thinking. _Hmm…from what I can tell, there's only the one guard out there. He must be armed. If I can get him in here…_ "…Umm, excuse me?"

The guard sounded bored. "What?"

He had never had a pressing need to lie before, so he hoped his voice was convincing enough. "…There's a really big snake in here. Wouldn't your lady be mad if it killed me?"

A dramatic sigh was heard from the other side of the door, and Dio got to his feet. "I suppose she would. Don't try anything stupid."

The door opened. Dio took a brief moment to check that the man was indeed wearing a sword before punching him in the gut with one hand and drawing the blade with the other. As the guard wheezed in pain and grabbed him, Dio sliced his throat open.

The blood sprayed him in the face, and he winced, wiping it and his new sword off on an unstained part of the guard's clothes. _Fighting is so…messy. At least I've got a sword, though._ He studied the sword in question. It was wasp-waisted and double-edged; the handle had been shaped for someone with slightly larger fingers than him. _It's plain, but the balance is good. _The guard's last breath rattled in his throat; Dio kicked him in the head, snapping his neck. _There, all done._ As an afterthought, he knelt down and stole the dead man's sword belt.

He stepped out into the hall. At first glance, it looked identical to the ground floor, but there was a staircase leading up to another floor. Rusted nails had once held a plaque by the bottom of the stairs, a plaque which Dio found on the floor. He squinted at it through the darkness. _Let's see…I can't read this writing, but this mark here looks like a number one, and there's an arrow pointing up. I must be on a lower level, then_. _Luciola…_ He sighed. _He must still be wandering around looking for me. I hope he ran into a group of Aega's guards or something; I'll be able to track him by the trail of bodies. He must be worried about me._

Dio started up the stairs. _I guess I should go look for him now._

&

It was getting darker by the minute, and Daphne had to grope in the dirt for the scarf. Her fingers shook as she picked it up and clambered to her feet. "No."

Demeios' eyes widened. "Huh?"

She shook dust off it. "This…this is yours. I made it for you. You do _not_ get to just throw it away like that!"

He stared at her, finally meeting her eyes. "But…I lied to you. I thought…"

"_You_. You betrayed me, you lied to me, you led my friends into a death trap for money. I can understand that; this bag must have at least three thousand Claudia in it." She picked the bag up, bouncing it experimentally in her hand. "But I knitted you that scarf with my own two hands, okay? No matter what you do, you're not allowed to throw it away."

His gaze moved from her face to the scarf. "Why…why would you still want me to have this? I don't deserve this from you."

Daphne glared at him. "You're still alive, aren't you? Still breathing, still walking around?"

"…Right now I wish I wasn't, but…yeah."

She rolled her eyes. "So damn melodramatic. As long as you're alive, you can make a difference. You may be a liar and a traitor, but you know more about this place than anyone and that uselessly dramatic gesture back there with that guy Eurytides shows you're not entirely irredeemable. So if you actually want to fix what you did wrong…"

It was almost imperceptible, but she saw him nod.

"Stopping whatever Aega's planning would certainly be good, especially since you helped start it. And you can have your scarf back now."

His hands trembled as he took the scarf from her hands and bowed.

Daphne glanced around, paying attention to the room they were in for the first time. "So, got any good ideas?"

The blond man pulled a book from his bag. "Umm, right. Well, this version of Heracleides basically says that most of the research projects took place on the upper floors, _but_—and this is important—the third and higher floors were reserved for delicate projects, things that wouldn't have been preserved too well. Look, the author drew a concept map. It's incomplete and probably vastly inaccurate, but it might just work. So if Aega plans to use any weaponry in this place, it'll probably be on the first or second floors."

"We should find it before she does, huh?"

Demeios snorted. "No chance of that. She already knows exactly where it all is and what parts are in working order. The only thing that helps us is her pride. She doesn't trust her underlings to do anything important for her, and she can't be in two places at once."

She sighed and rubbed her forehead, trying in vain to stave off a headache. "So we can't do anything? Is that what you're trying to say?"

He shuddered violently. "It hurts to say this, it really does, but…we have to find the weapons on this map and destroy them before she can use them."

She pulled the book out of his hands and poked a finger at the map in question. "Using _this_? There are holes and blank spots all over it. Well, I suppose it's better than nothing. Which way?"

"You decide."

Daphne frowned. "Let's see…that way's blocked, and this way's where that guy came from, so…how about that way?" She made a vague motion towards the door in the far wall, which was heavily damaged.

"Let's go."

As they walked, she remarked, "You know you're not off the hook yet, right? And when we get out of here, we are going to have a nice, _long_ talk about everything you didn't tell me."

"Of course, Miss Korakos."

"Call me Daphne, idiot."

&

The thin, flickering beam of Luciola's flashlight illuminated a loose tile in his path, and he stepped around it to avoid making any more noise than was necessary. He could hear the voices of at least three people up ahead. _Those must be the rest of the patrol group that girl mentioned._ There was a corner coming up, so he switched his flashlight off.

One of the guards shone his own light around the corner. "Hey, did any of you see that?"

"Yeah, it was a flashlight. So? It's probably that flake Inachis. No big deal."

"Are you insane? We're supposed to be keeping an eye out for Luciola. The guy's a killing machine; everything we can't identify is a big deal. I'm with Pyrgus, man. The least we should do is check."

Luciola glanced around. The corridor was smooth, with nowhere to hide. He had no choice but to face the oncoming group head-on as they rounded the corner. There were six of them, four men and two women. All were Guilders, and all were armed. The man in front—_probably Pyrgus_, he thought—looked nervous. His fingers, resting on his gun, shook. "You're not authorized to be here, kid. Get out!"

Luciola's eyes narrowed. "Even if I wanted to follow that order, I can't. Not only is the way out blocked, but your honorable Lady Aega stole someone very important to me. If you bring me to Dio, I might let you live."

A red-haired man in the back chuckled at his request. A woman with a scar on her face raised her eyebrow. "Lord Dio? Oh, you must be a friend of his. I'm sorry to have to tell you this…"

He was beginning to grind his teeth in frustration. "Tell me _what_?"

"We can't bring you to him. You see…" The woman gave him a mocking smile. "She doesn't need him anymore. I'm afraid your friend is already dead."

_No. She's lying. She has to be lying. Unless…Aega decided to seize power in her own name. Dio wouldn't be necessary then. If…if Lord Dio is dead…_ Luciola squeezed his eyes shut. For a few brief moments he was paralyzed, his grief so intense that he couldn't move. Then, slowly, sorrow gave way to rage that burned through his veins like alcohol, and his face began to twist into a hideous mockery of a smile. The guards backed away.

"Do you realize what you've just told me? You pathetic worms, do you realize what you just told me?" His knives cleared their sheath in a flash of light, even in the half-darkness. "My lord Dio is dead. My lord, who I have already given my life for, is dead by _your_ hands. Did you really think I was going to let you live after hearing that?"

Pyrgus was the first to move, his bullets hitting empty air as Luciola struck a blow that sliced him open from throat to stomach. The man behind him dropped his sword. "Who—who are you? _What_ are you?"

As the five survivors drew their various weapons, Luciola made a raspy sound low in his throat. It could almost be called a laugh. "I am Luciola of the Guild."

It felt good to fight again, he mused. True, his opponents were utterly incompetent, but that couldn't be helped. He slashed and struck almost without thinking, barely registering the screams and groans of his enemies as they died.

Finally, there was only one left. The man cried out in shock and pain as he slammed him up against the wall. "Where is Aega?"

"Why should I tell you?"

Luciola pressed a knife against his throat. "Because I don't think you want to go the same way as your friends."

"Okay. Go down the hall, make a left, then left again, and go straight after that. You know she's heavily guarded, right? You'll never be able to beat all of us."

"Thank you." Luciola killed him and sprinted down the hall. _I don't care how many guards there are. For killing my lord, for making us all suffer, Aega will die._

The door at the end of the hall was open, and the room beyond might have been spacious if a huge, rusted machine didn't take up one whole wall. As he paused to catch his breath, he noted that the guard had lied; besides Aega herself, there were only four other people in the room, including a burly man in an oversized coat. As he swung an iron bar at Luciola's head, he ducked underneath it and came up in a strike that slashed his stomach open. The others fell just as quickly.

"Guards? Guards! Get in here, you idiots!" Aega was screaming shrilly, but displayed no other signs of fear. Luciola was too tired to be annoyed as she turned to him. "So, you must be the famous Luciola. Strange; I could have sworn you were a member of the Guild. Did you really come here to kill me?"

He nodded. She snorted. "You couldn't even kill Delphine, and she was the Maestro. What makes you think you can kill me? My guards will end you before you can land a single blow."

Luciola began to smile. "Your guards are dead. And I'm not as weak as I once was."

&

Daphne was traveling blind. The light was so feeble that she had to walk extremely slowly and carefully. "Hey, are we any closer?"

Demeios squinted at the map. "Umm…well, the room it's in shares a wall with this corridor we're in right now, so…" He stepped in something wet on the floor and frowned. "Hey, what's this?" Then he looked up and gasped. "Oh, dear."

Next to him, Daphne paled and staggered against the wall, clapping a hand to her mouth. "There's so much blood…"

The scene in front of them looked like a battlefield in miniature. Closest to them, a man was laying face down, intestines spilling out like ropes. Another corpse in much the same condition had been left leaning against the wall. Two more bodies lay in spreading pools of their own blood, while another was separated neatly into two: his arm, and the rest of him. A man laid sprawled face-up, his head nearly severed from his shoulders. Blood had sprayed onto the walls, and now dripped down in random patterns.

"What did this?"

Daphne trembled violently before straightening up. "Luciola. I told you he would be alright."

The only way to continue down the hall was to walk through the carnage. Without thinking, Daphne grabbed Demeios' hand for support; he only hesitated a minute before his fingers tightened around hers. There was a trail of blood leading down the hall and around a corner. "This is the way to the nearest weapon system. Let's go."

As they followed the trail of blood, it lessened, until they reached a set of open doors. A dead man was lying just inside the room, with three more next to him. Demeios put an arm around Daphne's shoulders to hold her up. Aega's body lay next to a huge machine of some kind, the various parts of which appeared to have rusted together years ago. Luciola was leaning against it, casually wiping his hands with pieces of paper he had ripped from the notebook on the floor. He looked up as they entered. "Didn't I tell you to get out of here?"

Daphne winced and stepped behind Demeios. "Umm…the way out is blocked. We couldn't leave, so…we came to find you. What happened?"

There was blood splattered on his face. He scrubbed it off. "They told me that Lord Dio was dead. I lost my temper."

At the other end of the room, the door opened.

&

Dio sighed and shoved open the door. He hadn't seen a single living thing since he killed his guard, and he was tired. The smell of blood was strong here; something told him that Luciola was close.

He was. The bloody piece of paper he was holding fell to the floor as he noticed him. "Lord Dio?"

Dio ran into his arms, knocking him back a few paces. Luciola sighed and wrapped his arms tightly around him. "Yeah, it's me. Were you worried?"

Luciola buried his face in Dio's hair. "Worried? My lord, Aega's guards told me you were dead. You have no idea how good it is to know for sure they were lying."

"Speaking of guards…" He winced and pulled away with a pointed glance at the front of Luciola's shirt. "You're all bloody. Theirs, right?"

"Of course. And what about you?" Luciola reached up and brushed his hair off his face, dislodging flakes of dried blood.

Dio shivered at the contact. "My guard." He grinned and motioned to the sword at his waist. "This was his. Nice, huh?'

Behind them, Demeios cleared his throat. "Okay, I hate to break up your happy reunion, but now that we've established neither of you are hurt, I've got a question."

Dio blinked. "Okay…" _What is he worried about? It's over. We won; we can go home now._

"Since Luciola's apparently killed everyone in this place, how are we getting out of here?"


	8. Gypsy Moth

"How are we supposed to get out of here?"

The silence following this question was deafening. Luciola could not meet Dio's eyes._ This is all my fault. I was supposed to protect Lord Dio above all else, and instead I let my anger get the better of me. Now we're all trapped in this place._

"The same way you got back in, right?" Dio made a vague motion to the book Demeios was holding.

Daphne winced. "Umm…yeah, about that. I kind of accidently tripped the rest of the security system, so the front door is sealed over." As Luciola's eyes narrowed, she hastened to add, "But it's not totally lost! Demeios brought a map!"

…_A map?_ "Let's see it, then."

Demeios opened it up, and they huddled around him. "There are some blank spots, but the room we're in is on here, along with the rooms we were in when this whole mess started. See…" He dug a pencil stub out of his pocket and traced the path he and Daphne had followed. "This is how we found you."

Dio leaned over to get a better look. "Hey, this thing is useful. Can I borrow that pencil for a minute?"

For perhaps the first time, Demeios actually looked at Dio. "Hey, what happened to you? You're all bloody…and did you drop my bag somewhere? Because I could use it back."

Dio sighed. "Aega's men kidnapped me. I killed my guard and escaped, but I have no idea where your stuff is right now. Sorry."

As Demeios spluttered and tried to complain, Daphne spoke up. "That's okay; Demeios decided not to use those books for his research anyway. Didn't you, Demeios?" This last was accompanied by an elbow to the ribs, making the man nod rapidly. While he was distracted, Daphne gently pried the book and pencil out of his hands and gave them to Dio.

"Thanks. Okay, let's see. A girl opened this door here; I followed her down this path…took a left here, I think…there are security walls here and here…and wound up in this chamber here. That must be where your bag is; too bad it's on the other side of the building. So what about you?"

Luciola twitched; he had returned to the task of trying to get blood out from under his nails. When Dio handed him the map, he squinted at it. _This place is built like a maze. What were our ancestors thinking?_ "I took the other door out of the room; I must have wound up passing through this hallway. There are security walls here, here, and here." He marked them on the map. Certain areas were marked in red, including the room they were in. The artist had neglected to provide a legible key. "What's this?"

Demeios knew better than to pull it out of his hands. Unfortunately, he then invaded Luciola's personal space for a better look. "Oh, that shows where the old research projects are. This thing here is one of them." He made a vague motion in the general direction of the machine behind him. "Too bad _someone_ used Aega's notebook to clean their hands, or we'd have a better idea of what it is."

_What is he talking about? It's certainly not my fault my enemies bleed so much._ "That notebook was blank. She didn't know any more than we did."

Dio took a few steps back, tilting his head to try to make sense of it. "Aega told me that this place is where the Prometheus Project was developed. So, if she was telling the truth…you know, I think we'd better leave. I was never good at science, so I have no clue if any of the components are still around."

Daphne stared at him blankly. "'Components'? What are you talking about?"

Luciola took her shoulder and steered her to the other side of the room, next to Dio. _The Prometheus Project was the largest fission bomb ever built. If the uranium they used back then is still around… _"The materials they used to build the bomb have a tendency to stick around for a very long time. That may be why we haven't seen any animals around."

"So this stuff is toxic?" For a brief moment, her eyes flickered to the bodies on the floor, and she shuddered. "I think maybe we should plan our escape in a different room."

_Does being around the dead really frighten her that much? I suppose she has a point, though._ "Alright." He stared at the map again, trying to remember if he had seen any holes big enough to squeeze through. Finally, it hit him. "Here, in this hallway. The gap will fit us and we won't have to pass down that corridor again."

Demeios grinned. "Wonderful! Let's go home."

Dio blinked. "What about your research?"

The older man cast a glance at the bodies in their rapidly-drying pools of blood and winced. "There are plenty of other sites for me to choose from."

As they set off, Luciola couldn't stop himself from letting out a sigh of relief. _Finally, we're on our way out of here. And when I get home, I'm taking a nice, long shower._

&

Dio was the first one to clamber out of the building. As Daphne and Demeios landed beside him, he stared up at the sky. _It's so cloudy, I can't see the stars…but Exile must have landed. If the town—or maybe it's more of a city by now—is as busy as it was the last time, we shouldn't have any trouble finding it in the dark._

Luciola's hand on his arm brought him back to the present situation. "Lord Dio, should we fly through the night? Or would it be better to wait until morning?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Why are you asking me? You have opinions, don't you? What do you think?"

Luciola paused, a strange look on his face. Dio recognized that expression; it was the one he used when he wasn't sure how to phrase his words in a way that didn't sound blunt. Daphne and Demeios, less experienced fliers, listened intently. "It's dark and cloudy. Even with the lights, our visibility would be poor. However, we don't have the resources to camp out overnight, and…" He trailed off and mumbled something under his breath.

"You want to go home too, huh? Then let's find our vanships and get out of here." Dio grabbed his hand, ignoring the blood embedded in the lines of his palms. "Besides, you're an excellent navi. If anyone could fly in these conditions, it would be you." _Not to mention that Demeios would have no problem keeping up—it's not as though it's the Dragon's Fangs. The entire area is about as flat as one of Dunya's pancakes._ His mouth watered at the image. _I'm hungry; hope she has food when we get back._

It was too dark to tell, but Dio swore he saw Luciola's ears turn slightly pink before he turned away to study the surroundings. "Thank you. Demeios, my flashlight, please?" On their way out, Luciola had made sure to pick up the flashlight he had dropped earlier; because his hands were full with the book, he had given the light to Demeios. The older man nearly shoved it into his hands. It was still on, but beginning to flicker as it illuminated the corner of the building ahead. "This is the east side of the building, and we landed southwest of here. Follow me."

They didn't talk as they made their way back to their vanships. Although Daphne accepted the arm Demeios extended as support over rough patches of ground, she didn't look at him. Dio, watching them, couldn't help thinking something was wrong. _It's not like her to be so quiet. Did they have a fight or something? And Demeios keeps giving her guilty looks—it must have been his fault._ His fingers tightened around Luciola's wrist. _I don't think Luciola and I have ever fought…but then again, it's hard to fight with someone who won't show me any emotions._

The unpainted metal of Demeios' vanship shone in the darkness next to the black-painted hull of Daphne's craft. As Dio buckled himself into the pilot's seat, his sword banged against his hip. He sighed and adjusted it before taking off. _This sword…I killed someone to get it. It feels so strange; I know I've killed before, at the Trail of Agoon, but I can't really remember that day too well. All I remember is the blood…the same smell as today._

He sniffed. He could no longer smell blood. The wind was blowing in his face, and the lights of the town were visible in the distance. Exile had landed. _There's a line from a book I read once…'Bloodstained and carrying the spoils of war, I am heading home.' Yeah, that's it._

They landed at the house; Dio and Luciola pulled their vanship into the shed, while Demeios helped Daphne to the ground. Even in the dark, Dio could see him blushing. "Will I see you again?"

Her eyes narrowed, but she was smiling. "Of course. We still have a few things to straighten out, don't we? Tell you what; I'll stop by tomorrow morning and we can have coffee. And you are going to tell me everything."

"Thank you." As he started the slow journey back into town, Daphne sighed and watched him go.

&

It was very late, and Luciola swallowed a yawn. _It must be past midnight. I hope whoever's still up has food._

The door was closed, but not locked, and the lights were on; Dio knocked anyway. "Hey, anybody still awake?"

"Oh, Dio. What are you doing back so late? Quiet, my brothers and sisters are in bed." Dunya swung the door open and greeted them all with a smile. Indeed, her younger siblings and Alvis were nowhere to be seen, as was Mullin.

Before Dio could respond, Lavie stuck her head out of the open kitchen door. "Hey, you're back! Come in, you won't believe who's here. What happened to you?" Her eyes went to the sword at Dio's waist, and she gasped. "And where did you get that?"

Dio shrugged and swiped a hand at his bangs, as though there was still dried blood clinging to them. "It's a long story."

As Luciola followed Dio in, Lavie stared at the blood on his clothes. "You're all covered in blood. Were you two in a fight? You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, they're fine." Daphne spoke quickly, for her words were followed by a huge yawn. "Sorry; I'm just so tired."

They had one new arrival at the kitchen table. Ethan was sitting in a chair, alternately telling tales of the Silvana and shooting glances at Alister when she wasn't looking. She blushed when she caught him staring, making Tatiana roll her eyes. Claus and Mullin were filling Ethan in on the state of affairs on the blue planet. None of them glanced at the door until Lavie cleared her throat loudly and sat down in the seat next to Claus. "Hey, guys! Guess who's back!"

Ethan had been doing most of the talking, but now he fell silent as Luciola walked past him with a nod on his way to the sink. Finally, he seemed to regain his verbal skills. "I know you. Luce, right? You helped out with the vanships on the Silvana. What are you doing here?"

Luciola filled the sink and began washing his hands, watching the water turn pink. The last thing he wanted was to explain his story again. To his surprise, Claus spoke for him. "I was trying to explain it to you earlier, Ethan. This is Luciola; remember him? Dio's bodyguard? He came here with Daphne."

Ethan looked from Luciola to Dio, who was leaning against the doorway and grinning at him. Daphne waved listlessly from her seat at the table. "Seriously? But _how_…never mind. I don't want to know. How've you been, Dio?"

Dio sank into an empty chair. "Pretty good, especially with Luciola here. How's everyone on the Silvana?"

Ethan rubbed the back of his neck. "Well…Godwin punched me when I told him I was quitting, so I guess he's the same as ever. As for the others…it's been pretty lonely around the garage recently. Most of the pilots left, so there hasn't been much work. It's…_one_ of the reasons I decided to leave." He met Alister's eyes for a minute before blushing and looking away.

Luciola studied his hands. _I think I got most of the blood off. But as for my shirt…_ "Miss Dunya, do we have any detergent around here?"

Dunya nudged him to one side to get bread and cheese out of the pantry. She wrinkled her nose at the sight and smell of his bloody shirt. "Sure; take that off and I'll wash it in the tub for you. But first, eat; and then you can tell me what happened at Lionsgate."

Luciola dried his hands and sat down heavily. Ethan returned to staring at him until Luciola met his eyes. The man spluttered nervously. "Sorry! It's just...I can't believe I ate lunch with you on the Silvana. I thought you were dead!"

A ham and cheese sandwich was put in front of him, and Luciola ate silently, allowing the conversation to wash over him. Several ex-Guilders had brought electricity generators with them, to provide power to the rapidly growing town until a place could be found to build a more permanent hydroelectric plant. Fortunately, Alister and Tatiana had been doing reconnaissance in hopes of finding such a place. In between bites of food, Dio and Daphne gave their friends the abridged version of what had happened at Lionsgate, drawing sympathetic noises even as Claus and Mullin nervously edged their seats away from Luciola. This movement knocked Claus into Lavie, who turned red before elbowing him out of the way.

Eventually, after several significant glances at the clock, Tatiana asked, "Ethan, you have a place to stay, right? It's really late, you know."

Ethan, who had been chatting with Alister about her vanship while steadily inching his chair closer to hers, looked slightly embarrassed. "Wow, you're right. I have a room at a hotel in town; I should probably be getting back there now. See you tomorrow, Alis?"

She smiled. "Sure."

&

Dio flopped onto his bed and yawned, running his fingers through his damp hair. He had wolfed down his sandwich in order to beat Luciola to the shower, and it had worked. _I'm full, I finally feel clean again, and I have a brand-new shiny sword. Life is good. _

The sword in question lay on the floor by his bed. He rolled over and picked it up, drawing it from the sheath for a decent look. It was all steel, save for the brass crescent moon and pommel on the hilt. The grip was wrapped in steel wire, and the blade had been polished to a mirrorlike sheen. When he caught a glimpse of his reflection, he pushed his bangs away from his face. _I haven't really looked at myself in a mirror since that day, but I know my scars must have been pretty bad if they scared Lavie that much. _

He winced at the sight of the scars covering his forehead. _Wow, that does look bad. No wonder everyone was horrified when they saw it._ He sheathed the sword again, making sure to shove it under the bed.

Luciola opened the door. He had neglected to put a shirt on after his shower, a fact Dio noted with an appreciative glance. Luciola's eyes, however, remained fixed on his scars. "Lord Dio?"

Dio hastily brushed his bangs back into place and moved over so Luciola could sit down on the bed beside him. "I'm fine." He leaned over, wrapping an arm loosely around Luciola's waist and running his fingers through his short hair. "Hey, your hair's growing out brown."

He felt Luciola shiver. "I was planning on bleaching it again later."

He trailed his fingers over the tip of one ear, making him squirm slightly. _Is he ticklish there, too?_ "Mmm…you don't have to. I like it like this."

Luciola did not reply, so Dio rested his head on his shoulder. "You know…I wasn't scared today at all."

That got a reply, as Luciola turned to look at him. "Not scared? My lord, you could have _died_."

_Oh, Luciola…you were terrified for me, weren't you?_ "No, I couldn't." _There are two of us. Two of us, but our heartbeats are so close that I can only feel one. _"You couldn't, either. I knew all along you never would have let me die, and I will never let _anyone_ take you away from me again."


	9. Common Jezebel

On the way to practice his fighting after breakfast, Luciola bumped into Daphne and Alister coming out of their room. Alister had tied a pink ribbon around the end of her braid, and Daphne was wearing the black skirt she had taken in. She grinned when she saw him. "Morning! Tell Dunya I'll do today's shopping, okay?"

"You're going into town?" _Shopping? Where did she get money? I thought she spent it on that sewing machine of hers…_

She nodded. "I'm going out for coffee with Demeios, and since it seems Ethan has a room in a hotel close to his place, Alis is coming with me." Alister blushed and frowned at her, but she ignored it. "I have a feeling we'll be out most of the day, but I'll try to make it back for dinner."

"Hey, you two are going into town for the day?" Dio stepped out of the bedroom, pulling his shirt on. "Can we come?"

"Lord Dio…" Truthfully, the few glimpses of town Luciola had seen had not exactly endeared him to the place. It was dirty, crowded, and messy; he saw no reason to go there, especially the day after an Exile landing.

Dio clearly did not share this opinion, and he gave Luciola a wide-eyed, pleading glance. "We haven't been to town in ages, and I want to see how much it's changed. Come on, please? Or I'll go by myself if you're so determined to stay home."

Luciola sighed. "Is it alright with you, Daphne?" He hoped she would refuse; he'd much rather stay home.

She cast a quick glance at Alister to gauge her reaction before nodding. "Fine. Hey—while you're out and about, you can do our grocery shopping. Here's a list."

To Luciola, the walk to town seemed shorter than last time, probably because the town limits had become larger. The town was expanding constantly; although most new buildings went up on the side closer to Exile's landing field, the buildings on the main road had been considerably renovated. Alister and Daphne left them there, vanishing into the crowd.

Dio twisted around in an effort to take everything in at once, but never let go of his hand. "Isn't this place great? They have everything here! Oooh, and the general store's having a sale on whole-wheat flour. Let's buy some!"

Luciola checked the list. "As you wish."

He made to follow Dio into the store, but Dio stopped him, grinning. "You should stay here. Remember what you told me about buying that knife? If your luck now is anything like it was then, you'll get gypped. I'll handle the money." He ran his fingers lightly over Luciola's knuckles before letting go. "Don't worry; I'll be in sight the entire time."

Although he knew Dio was right—the general store had large windows facing the street, enabling customers to see the goods for sale—Luciola's eyes still narrowed as he watched the white-haired boy enter the store. There was a relatively clean bench across the street, and he sat down to wait. It was damp—there had been rain sometime during the night. He was distracted from his careful vigil by a loud, vaguely familiar voice.

"Seeds for sale! Start your garden with seeds brought all the way from Prester! Cucumbers, carrots, olives, basil, anything you want—five Claudia a packet!"

A young man was making his way down the street, pushing a cart. His thick brown hair hung in his face, obscuring his eyes. He was scanning the crowd hopefully for any customers, but he broke into a brisk jog when he spotted Luciola.

_Do I know him from somewhere? He looks familiar._ The man stopped in front of him; as Luciola opened his mouth to ask his name, he was cut off.

"Hey, Luce. Fancy running into _you_ again." The man looked him over, smiling. "You look…good."

The man's name flashed into Luciola's mind. _Lucius Columella, the Guild gardener from Exile_. "It's 'Luciola,' actually. Hello, Lucius."

Without so much as asking permission, Lucius sat down next to him. Because it was a small bench, their hips brushed for a moment before Luciola edged a bit farther away. Lucius didn't seem to notice. "Luciola…that's an unusual name. I like it. So what're you doing out here all by your lonesome?"

_He likes my name? What is that supposed to mean?_ _Maybe if I give him the shortest answers possible, he'll get bored and leave._ "Shopping." Although Lucius was harmless, something about the man's attentions unnerved him.

"What for, groceries? Or are you planning to start a garden? Because, you know, I'd be glad to help you with that."

The bright smile Lucius directed at him made Luciola squirm. "I already have a garden."

Lucius sighed. "Figures. So you're here by yourself, then? What happened to your girlfriend?"

For a few moments, Luciola could only blink at him, before remembering that Lucius had mistaken Daphne for his girlfriend on Exile. "…She's not my girlfriend."

"Ah. Well, now I feel like an idiot. So, have you been as feeling as well as you look?"

Luciola felt his face heat up. _I think he's actually flirting with me!_ "I've been fine." Even though he could care less, politeness required him to ask the follow-up question. "And you?"

"Well…" Lucius turned away from him to stare at the people passing by. "It was a bit strange coming here at first. I'm glad I ran into you; I don't know too many people around here, so it's nice to see your face."

Luciola deemed it wise to change the subject. "Have you had any luck selling seeds yet?"

"No, not yet. You said you had a garden, right? What have you planted so far?"

_Finally, a safe topic._ "Let me think…we have carrots, peas…"

&

Dio drummed his fingers impatiently as the old man who ran the general store counted out his change. _Okay, I can cross flour and sugar off the list. Next we have to go to the grocery store, the one the Disith woman owns._

"Here's your change, young man. Have a nice day."

Dio remembered to smile politely. "Thanks."

As he turned to go, he glanced out the window. What he saw made him stop dead. A young Guild man with brown hair—_good-looking, too_, he noted—was sitting on a bench with Luciola, apparently deep in conversation with him. There was a cart filled with boxes next to him. _Who is he?_ Dio's grip on his bags tightened as he watched the man meet Luciola's eyes and touch his arm to emphasize a point. _Stop looking at him. And why are you touching him like that_? His anger was intensified as he saw Luciola turn red and glance away. _How dare you? I'm the only one allowed to make him do that!_

He stormed out into the street. As he drew closer, he heard snatches of their conversation. It was apparently innocuous, but that man was touching Luciola far too often for his liking.

Lucius laid a hand on Luciola's arm. "I have some of the stuff you'll need at my place. If you'll go back with me…" He trailed off. Luciola's attention had shifted to a point behind his right shoulder, and he turned to stare at Dio, who was glaring at him. "Oh. Hello. Can I help you with something?"

Dio's eyes fell on Luciola; he looked relieved to see him, so Dio forced himself to keep his voice calm. "I'm done with shopping here. We have to get to the grocery store now."

Luciola sprang to his feet and took the bags. "Here, let me carry those." He turned to Lucius. "Sorry, I have shopping to do."

"Oh." Lucius looked crestfallen for a moment before brightening up. "I'll see you around, then!"

Dio took Luciola's arm and broke into a brisk walk. Once he was sure he was out of earshot, he stopped and asked in a hiss, "Who _was_ that?"

Luciola's voice betrayed no emotion. Then again, it rarely did. "Lucius Columella, a gardener I met onboard Exile."

Dio frowned. "I don't like him. I think you should stay away from him."

"Of course. Should we continue our errands now?"

As they walked, Dio fumed. _Lucius Columella…who does he think he is, flirting with Luciola? 'I'll see you around…' Not if I have anything to do with it. I can't believe his nerve. _

&

Several days passed. Luciola did not go to town. The house was closer to being empty than it had ever been; Mullin had taken Dunya's siblings and Alvis to visit friends in town, Claus and Lavie were out shopping, and Alister and Tatiana were working on their vanship. Daphne was working feverishly on something inside. It was a hot, dry day of the kind he had learned were common in the area. His chores for the day were finished, and he had made himself a sandwich for lunch—although he readily admitted he had no culinary skills at all, he could at least slice bread. Dio had taken his new sword down by the stream to practice, so he didn't need to be watched.

As he ate, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Finally, he realized, with some surprise, what it was—he actually had free time. It made him nervous. _The only times I have time to myself are when Lord Dio isn't around, and whenever he's not around, something bad happens. _He wondered briefly if he should join Dio for a few practice rounds, but decided against it; ever since they had run into Lucius, Dio had been acting rather strangely. _It's not like him to be so distant._

Someone was coming up the road, pushing a cart and whistling a cheerful tune. They spotted each other at the same moment, and Luciola groaned inwardly as the man ran over to him. _Lucius._

"Hi there! Haven't seen you in a while, Luce. How ya been?"

Much to Luciola's great irritation, he felt himself blush as the man clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Fine. What are you doing here?"

Lucius turned red. "Well," he said, studying his shoes, "I was looking for customers. And on the way here, I couldn't help but notice the garden you have out back. Mind if I take a closer look?"

Luciola thought for a moment. _The garden is just behind the house. If we go there, Dio will surely see us. I'd feel better with him around._ "Let's go."

Before Lucius could do anything other than make a few appreciative noises at how well the carrots were coming along, he caught sight of Dio striding up the hill towards them and paled as he took in the sword sheathed at his hip. "Oh, hi. You're that kid from the other day, right?"

Strangely enough, Dio didn't seem offended, although Luciola noted that his eyes never left Lucius' face. "Indeed I am. Luciola, could you do me a favor and get me a glass of water, please?"

"L—Dio?" _I know that tone of voice; Lord Dio is angry at something, and it's not me._ He was suddenly worried for Lucius' safety.

Dio gave him a slow, smoldering look, one that made him blush and look away. "Please?"

Luciola vanished inside the house; he knew an order to get lost when he heard it. _I hope Lord Dio manages to control himself, although I'm not sure why my being anywhere near Lucius should make him so angry. Lucius may be annoying, but he poses no threat._ As he worked, he couldn't help keeping an ear out for their conversation.

&

Dio glared at Lucius, who gazed back with a slightly confused look on his face before asking, "I'm sorry, I don't think I got your name."

Dio's eyes narrowed, and Lucius took a step back. He was careful to keep his voice low—Dunya was napping inside. "My name is Dio Eraclea."

Lucius, to his credit, only nodded. "Nice to meet you. Lucius Columella, at your service." He extended a hand for Dio to shake.

Dio did not take it. "Why are you hanging around Luciola?"

The older man shrugged and leaned against the fence. "Why do you care? What are you to him?"

Dio rested his hand on his sword, trying not to give away his thoughts. _What am I to Luciola…? That's easy._ "I'm his friend."

"Oh, really?" Lucius raised an eyebrow. "Just a friend? You seem awfully interested in his love life for someone who's just a friend."

Dio drummed his fingers on his sword hilt. _This guy isn't as stupid as I thought_. "I'll ask you again. Why are you so interested in him?"

"No real reason. He's hot, that's all. Plus, have you seen those arms? _Wow_."

From inside, something crashed—from the sound, probably a glass of water. Luciola must have heard. Dio felt his face heat up. _He's certainly right, but…I'm the only one allowed to say that! _"I'd stay far away from him, if I were you."

Lucius blinked at him. "Why, does he already have someone? You, maybe?"

Dio's blush seemed to have moved to his ears. "I am _not_ his boyfriend. I'm just telling you that you're wasting your time flirting with him."

The older man smirked. "Why, because you called dibs? I saw the way you looked at each other just now. You were about ready to kill me, but you calmed down as soon as you caught his eye, and he went all red when you gave him that look. He looks at _me_ like I've got the plague or something." Lucius sighed. "You don't have to worry; I know when I'm outclassed."

"So you'll stay away from him, then."

Lucius grinned. "Since it seems he has a future boyfriend who'd probably kill me if I went anywhere near him, I don't have much of a choice. Fine, I'll yield to you. But you'd better not screw things up with him—I'm not stepping aside for a failure, okay?"

Dio nodded slowly as he left. _Lucius could never take Luciola from me. But if he left of his own free will…no. That will never happen. I know he loves me_. An idea occurred to him, and he grinned. _But does he lust after me?_ _I'll make sure of it._

&

"You know," Dio remarked later that night, as they were getting into bed, "I never did get that glass of water." He idly traced a swirling pattern over Luciola's chest, making him squirm. "But at least that guy won't be bothering you again."

Luciola pulled away. He had seen Lucius stalk off earlier, muttering under his breath something about his bad luck. "My lord, what did he say to you?"

Dio smiled. "Oh, you heard what he said." Luciola flushed red as Dio ran his fingers over his arm. "I happen to agree with him, by the way. You are quite nice in this new body of yours."

Luciola swallowed nervously. _He thinks me attractive? He was certainly jealous of Lucius for daring to get close to me. But…_ "I'm really nothing special."

"You know, false modesty doesn't really suit you." Dio grinned and rolled off him, flopping back against the covers. The mischievous light in his eyes faded, and he rested his head on the older boy's chest sleepily. "Hey…you'll never leave me, right?"

He sighed. "I came back from the dead for you, my lord. You must know the answer to that by now."


	10. Crimson Patch

Dunya cleared her throat nervously. "Umm, guys? I—_we_—have something to say."

It was morning, and the rest of the house had crammed into the kitchen for breakfast. Dio put his fork down and glanced around the table curiously. Everyone was quiet; Irena shushed Alvis and Nikos' conversation impatiently. Mullin was sitting next to Dunya, as always; he reached out and took her hand as she continued.

"Umm…well, I'm not sure how to say this, but…" She squeezed her eyes shut, blushing furiously. "I'm pregnant and I figured I should tell you all."

Dio continued eating. Next to him, Claus' mouth dropped open, and Lavie mumbled, "Congratulations…I guess." Dunya's siblings all wore various expressions of shock—Dio guessed she hadn't told them yet. Alister offered an encouraging smile, while Tatiana shrugged.

Daphne narrowed her eyes at Mullin, but she was smiling. "Mullin Shetland, you _dog_. How many months?"

Dunya stared at her half-eaten breakfast. "I went to the doctor the day before yesterday, and he said I'm about five weeks, but then the woman at the desk recommended a Guild doctor, and _she_ said I'm about seven weeks, so…two months."

"Oh, okay." She stood up and put her empty dish into the sink. "I'm going into town; I'm gonna need more yarn for this. Do either of you have any favorite colors?"

Mullin blinked. "Umm, you don't really have to…"

She cut him off smoothly. "No, I want to. You've been so nice to me in letting me stay here and run my business—I have clients now, if you can believe it—that I figure knitting clothes for your baby is the least I can do. Besides, it will give me something to do other than hemming dresses and embroidering shirt cuffs."

Dunya smiled. "Thank you."

After breakfast, there were chores to be done. There were always chores to be done, Dio thought sourly. Today, one of his was to help Lavie do the dishes. She was quiet for a long time before speaking.

"I heard about that guy…Lucius, right? Daphne told me."

Dio raised an eyebrow and continued to wipe down the plate he was holding. "Is that so?"

She scrubbed at a knife. "Now you know how it feels, don't you?"

There was a spot on the plate that would not be removed, so he wiped harder. "What are you talking about?"

She glared at him. There were tears in her eyes. "On the Silvana! _You_, hanging all over Claus! You know how you felt when that guy was flirting with Luciola? That's how I felt, seeing you with Claus. And I'll bet Luciola felt the same way; you must know he doesn't like Claus very much, right?"

Dio glanced towards the back of the house, where Claus, Mullin and Luciola were supposed to be working on the garden. _Luciola doesn't like Immelmann? But he's always perfectly polite to him… _"I didn't know that."

She shook her head. "Honestly, boys are so stupid sometimes."

He sighed. The plate was as clean as it would ever be, so he reached for another. _I feel a little silly now. If I think back to when I was on the Silvana…she's right. Luciola's eyes looked so cold when he saw me hug Immelmann. I can't do that to him again; it isn't fair. Not to mention… _"Speaking of boys, how are things going with you and Immelmann?"

She blushed. "Keep washing plates, Dio."

He grinned. "They must be going pretty well; I hear you two talking late at night sometimes. And I've noticed you don't seem to mind Tatiana being here as much as you did before."

Her face was nearly the same color as her hair. "Plates. Wash. _Now_."

He couldn't keep himself from smiling a little as he did his chores. _So there is something there after all. Good for them._

&

Later that day, Luciola found himself in the shed, doing maintenance work on Daphne's vanship. There wasn't much to do; the vanship was in near-perfect condition. As he packed up his tool kit, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder. "Is there something I can do for you, Lord Dio?"

He couldn't see him, but he knew Dio was pouting. "And here I thought I could sneak up on you."

Luciola tried to remain very still, but couldn't help trembling as Dio ran his slender fingers over his collarbone. _He said, last night, that he agrees with what Lucius said about me. He…Lord Dio said he liked the way I look. That was a compliment, and compliments should be returned in kind, but…_ He breathed a sigh of relief as Dio pulled away from him to examine the inner workings of Daphne's vanship. He hadn't closed the maintenance hatch yet. _It is not my place to tell him he is beautiful._

Dio poked at a cable. "Looks good. Hey, do you think sometime today we could—" He cut himself off as Tatiana entered, followed by Ethan. Quickly, he grabbed Luciola's wrist and pulled him onto the floor, out of their sight.

"Lord Dio, what—"

Dio shushed him, grinning. He replied in a whisper, "Ethan's supposed to come pick up Alister for a date, but Tatiana wanted to talk to him first. This is going to be good."

Luciola rested his head on the cool metal of the vanship's hull, trying to ignore the heat of Dio's body leaning against him. At least it wasn't technically eavesdropping if he had a legitimate reason for being in the area, right? In the back of his mind, he wished Dio was just a bit less curious sometimes. _At least it would keep him safer._

Ethan sounded nervous. "You said you wanted to talk to me, Miss Tatiana?"

"Yes." She sounded vaguely annoyed. "It's about you and Alis."

"What about me and Alis? Are you trying to tell me I'm not good enough?"

On hearing this, Dio grinned. Luciola blinked. _It seems time away from Miss Wisla and Miss Alister has given Ethan a spine. Interesting._

She sighed. "Alis is my best friend, and I didn't want her to have to hear this…but make sure you comprehend this. If you ever do anything to hurt her in any way, if you ever make her cry, I will kill you. Understand?"

He swallowed nervously; Luciola could hear it from where he was hidden behind the vanship. "Y-yeah. I got it."

"Good." There was a pause, and then, "Well, what are you waiting for? Don't you have a date to go on?"

As soon as he was sure they were gone, Dio sprang up from his seat. Because he still had a firm hold on Luciola's hand, the older boy was pulled up with him. "So, what were you working on?"

Luciola made a vague motion towards the vanship. "Basic maintenance. Lord Dio…did you come here just to listen to Miss Wisla threaten Ethan?"

Dio scoffed. "Of course not. I came to keep you company." He trailed his fingers over Luciola's wrist, making him shiver. "After all, if I leave you alone, someone else might try to steal you from me."

A denial was on the tip of his tongue before he realized that Dio was probably joking. Even so, Luciola offered a slight smile that he hoped was reassuring. "I will never leave you."

"I was just checking." Dio's eyes flickered over his form, lingering on his shoulders and chest in a way that made his face heat up. "Come on, let's go have lunch."

&

"Do we have any other history books?"

Alvis' question took Dio by surprise. "Well, there's the _Illiad_ if you want to reread it. Why?"

She held up the copy of the _Odysseid_ she had been sharing with all of Dunya's siblings. The pages were tattered, and several of them looked close to falling out. "We're all bored with this. Can we go into town and buy some more?"

"Sure." She beamed at him, and he felt himself start to smile back. "Let me just get Luciola."

It had been a full week since they had went into town. Luckily, the main street wasn't as crowded as the last time, a fact Dio gave thanks for. _I wouldn't have wanted to herd the kids around in a crowd like that._

Although there was almost nobody else around, Luciola kept twisting around anxiously to make sure none of Dunya's siblings had wandered off. "Katya, stay close. Nikos, don't _touch_ that, you don't know where it's been."

Dio giggled and grabbed his arm. "Hey, you're pretty good with kids. Maybe Dunya will let you babysit once her kid is born, what do you think?"

Luciola shuddered. "My lord, I don't think I'm cut out for a job like that."

The secondhand bookstore was located just off the main road. It was utterly deserted, save for the owner, who perked up when they walked through the door. "Oh, it's the Scheer siblings. I haven't seen you around in a while. Please, feel free to browse as long as you'd like."

Dunya's siblings and Alvis scattered around the small store, while Dio and Luciola made their way around the stacks. Although a perfunctory attempt had been made to put the books into some kind of order, it hadn't worked very well, and a few of the history books had been wedged in with the sciences.

In an attempt to find a history book that looked halfway interesting, Dio bumped into Luciola, who had been paging through a book on poisonous plants. He read the title and grinned. "_'The Identification and Use of Poisonous_ _Flora'_? Didn't you used to have that book?"

Luciola made a movement that might have been a shrug. "I wanted to read it again."

Dio slid past him. In the narrow aisle, the action pressed their bodies together, and he shivered at the feel of the older boy's muscles through his thin shirt. The contact lasted only a moment before they both moved, and Dio sighed as Luciola made his way down the aisle. _That Lucius was right. He is hot._ He shook his head, scanning the shelves. _Now is not the time to think about things like that._

A thick book on the bottom shelf caught his eye; he bent down to pull it out. He turned it over in his hands, flipping through the blank pages and feeling the cloth on the hard cover. Judging by the wear on the spine, it was old. _How strange. I know the owner will basically accept any kind of book, but an old diary? What's this doing here?_

The bell over the shop door rang as another customer entered. Dio stuck his head out into the main aisle to come face to face with Sallust, who turned white on seeing him. "What are you doing here?"

Sallust glanced around nervously before turning to the owner. "Ummm…I'll come back later."

As he made to leave, Dio spoke up. "I read your latest book, you know."

Sallust spun around, beaming. "You read it? What did you think? Will you let me interview you now?"

_I don't have to be polite to bad writers who bully people in the name of research._ "No. And your book was awful."

Luciola cleared his throat from somewhere on the other side of the aisle, and Sallust paled. "I'll just be going, then." He nearly sprinted out of the store, and Dio turned his attention back to the book in his hands.

_Somehow, I have the feeling Sallust will write that book whether he's allowed to do firsthand research or not. And I can't even remember what happened that day…Maybe it will help if I write it down._

When they lined up to pay for their purchases—Irena's sappy romance novel, Nikos' and Alvis' history books, Aleksander's fantasy novel, and Katya's book of fairytales—Dio made sure to pay for the blank book and a pen. _If I'm doomed to be in the history books, I might as well write one myself._

&

Later that night, Luciola pushed open the bedroom door to see Dio sitting on their bed, scribbling in the blank book he had purchased earlier. He looked up when Luciola came in, but he did not smile. "Hey."

Luciola sat down next to him. "Lord Dio, what's the matter?"

He closed the book and laid his pen on it carefully, deliberately. He did not meet Luciola's eyes. "I want to write my own version of the fall of the Guild, before anyone else can obscure the truth. Will you help me?"

Luciola felt a cold shudder run through him at Dio's request. _That day…there's no way for me to forget what Delphine did to him. And it was my fault; if I had been stronger, maybe…_ "My lord, what do you remember of that day?"

Dio fiddled with his pen. "The mechanics held a party for me…for my birthday. Alvis made cake, and there were presents. Then I had to go fight Exile with Immelmann, and when I came back…" He trailed off. As Luciola laid a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, Dio's head snapped up, and he fixed him with an angry glare. "The last thing I remember clearly is being led off to the Rite of the Covenant, _screaming_ for you, and you never came! Why? Was it only out of fear of my sister? Or did you have some sort of grand scheme that involved handing me over like a goat to be slaughtered?"

_No. No, no, no…_ "Lord Dio…Dio, I…"

Dio's eyes remained fixed on him, but the rage drained out of him slowly. "I know. Immelmann—Claus—told me you set bombs all over the Guild, and then set them off once I was on my way out. And…even if you hadn't done that…there was no way you would have been able to help. Not with Delphine watching you." He melted against Luciola, resting his head on his arm. "It's done, anyway. So…I have to write it down. For…posterity, I think they'd say. Tell me what happened."

Luciola could not look at him. Instead, he focused his gaze on a knot in the planks of their closed bedroom door. That was safe enough. _Oh, my lord. _"There isn't much to tell. Delphine made us eat with her. None of us touched the food. Then…" He shuddered. "You were led out. You had _changed_. You were made to undergo the Trial of Agoon, where you slaughtered all other competitors. We—Lady Alvis, Claus, and myself—watched part of it, but when Delphine was told that Exile was getting closer, she led Alvis and Claus to the top deck to speak the Mysteria."

While he had been speaking, Dio had been jotting down notes. Now he stopped writing. "And you? What did you do?"

"I planted a series of explosives. After the Trial of Agoon was over, we all returned to the main dining hall, and Delphine was called away by one of the other servants—Apis, I think. There was something about an attack. While she was distracted, I led you, Claus and Lady Alvis to a vanship. I told him…" He squeezed his eyes shut, remembering the despair and terror he had felt on that day. "I told him to help you. Then I left to face Delphine." _I didn't want to die. Oh, my lord, please forgive me. I wanted to live, to protect you, but I was too weak._

"Where you died." Dio finished writing and closed the book with a snap. He slid it under his bed and reached for Luciola's hand. "But…you're back now, so it doesn't matter, right?"

"…No, I don't suppose it does." Luciola sighed and twined his fingers around Dio's. _Perhaps his writing about that day will help him. It certainly can't hurt. And, who knows? It may help both of us heal._


	11. Question Mark Butterfly

Over the next few days, Dio spoke to everyone in the house who had been close to the action when the Guild fell. Luciola let him speak to Mullin alone; he had work to do.

Claus had asked for his help in cleaning his vanship. Although working with the boy was the last thing he wanted to do, it would have been rude to refuse. It was a bright, sunny day, so they worked outside in silence.

Claus broke that silence. "So, Dio's writing a book, huh?"

_Why are you asking me? You know he is._ "Yes."

"Think he'll ever finish it?"

Luciola wiped a damp rag along a section of the hull. "It's entirely possible."

The younger boy had been polishing a freshly cleaned section of the hull. Now he stopped and frowned at him. "Ever since you came here, you've barely spoken to me. It's not like I don't trust you by now, so what's your problem?"

Were it not for the ribbing on the hull, Luciola would have been able to see his reflection in it. _My problem? You're my problem. Ever since Lord Dio noticed you, he's been utterly fascinated by you, and you don't deserve it._ "I don't have a problem with you."

"You know it's not my fault Dio keeps hanging all over me, right? I'd much rather not have him hugging me constantly."

_I didn't say it was your fault. Stop being logical when I'm trying to hate you._ "I know that."

"So why do you hate my guts? Is it because you think he's—I don't know, _interested_ in me or something? I'm not stupid; I can see you two are pretty close."

Luciola flinched, feeling his free hand curl into a fist. _You don't deserve him. You are not worthy of his attentions. _

Claus saw this and shook his head. "He's not. You know how he is; if he was interested, he would have acted on it by now, and he hasn't. He doesn't even sneak up on me with hugs anymore—not that I'm complaining about that."

_He's right. I haven't seen Lord Dio in Claus' company in days; he's usually with me, and Claus is usually with Lavie. When he does speak to Claus, he's not nearly as…demonstrative…as he usually is._ "I have noticed that."

"You're the one he's almost always with. And when we _do_ work together, he's usually talking about you."

Luciola was careful to pretend disinterest. _He talks about me?_ "Hmm?"

"Yeah, all the time. Well…you and vanships, anyway. But mostly you."

"I see." _So…he talks about me when he's with Claus, instead of prattling on about Claus' virtues the way he used to. Why does that make me so…happy?_

Claus stepped back from the vanship to survey his handiwork. It shone in the sun. "Well, I think we're done here. Lavie asked me to go shopping with her, so can you bring the vanship back to the shed for me?"

"Of course." Luciola felt himself relax. _I don't have to be concerned with Claus now. When Lord Dio is with him, he talks about me, and with all the time Claus and Lavie have been spending together, I wouldn't be surprised if they're already romantically involved with each other. She wouldn't be able to hide her feelings if she saw another rival for Claus' feelings, so I must suppose my lord isn't interested in Claus anymore._ He felt himself begin to smile. _Everything is as it should be._

&

Dio frowned, tapping the back of his pen against his teeth. The notes he had taken in his conversation with Luciola had been joined by transcripts of similar conversations with Claus, Lavie, Dunya, Alister, Mullin, and—for an outsider's perspective—Daphne. They were depressingly disjointed.

_I don't know what to do. I have the information, yes…but how do I string it together? Should I work from the inside out, starting with Luciola and Immelmann and ending with Daphne, or should I approach from the other end, drawing the reader in from Daphne's perspective? After all, most people were probably thinking the same thing she was._ He flipped to the relevant pages, smirking; Daphne's comments on seeing half of the Guild palace detach and crash on the edges of Norkia had apparently run mainly in the direction of terrified whimpering. _Oh, this doesn't help._

His mind started to drift to other things. _Hmm…when this is all done, I wonder how I should get it published. Maybe Demeios can help. Should I use my own name on it?_

He twirled the pen around his fingers, thinking. _If I do use my own name, the unwanted publicity would be…not good. Maybe I should come up with a pen name. Or maybe…I could do what my father did._

Luciola stood in the open doorway. "Lord Dio, dinner's ready." He drew closer. "What are you doing?"

Dio beamed at him. "I'm glad you're here. Tell me, do you think I should sign myself just plain Dio Eraclea, or should I take my father's name?"

The older boy bore an expression that Dio recognized as politely confused. "My lord?"

He explained. "When they become adults, many Maestros of the Guild take their parent's name. My father was Cassius Eraclea, but when he turned seventeen he took _his_ father's name and became known as Cassius Gaius Eraclea. Honestly, did you _ever_ pay attention in history class? My sister could have been known as Delphine Livia Eraclea, but she hated our mother and refused to take her name."

"Ah, I see."

"So? Dio Cassius Eraclea is a good name to put on this book when I'm done, right?"

Luciola frowned. "First of all, Lord Dio, it may not even be wise to put your last name on the book, at least for now. Dio Cassius should be fine. And second of all…" He cast a significant glance at the open book lying on their bed. "Shouldn't you wait until you actually have a book to be published before you start thinking of your pen name?"

Dio grinned sheepishly. _He's right. I am thinking too far ahead_. He closed the book and rolled off the bed. _I can come back to it later._ "Let's go have dinner. Is Dunya cooking again?"

"No, Daphne. She and Lavie have been refusing to let Dunya do any chores since she told us she was pregnant."

Dio groaned, and Luciola sighed. "Her cooking isn't _that_ bad."

"I'll believe that when I taste it. Let's go eat."

&

Luciola could kill whoever had invented the concept of popsicles, and then dismissed it as impossible—the person was unknown and long dead. Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on his shoes, the bench he was sitting on, the grocery store across the street—anything but the boy sitting next to him.

They were in town again. Alister had gone to see Ethan, while Demeios had persuaded Daphne to put down her knitting and go out with him for the day. As was quickly becoming a habit, Dio followed them into town, dragging Luciola with him. Once there, they had spotted a man selling popsicles from a cart, and Dio had bought one for each of them before Luciola could stop him.

Next to him, Dio was eating his popsicle, which from the glances Luciola had stolen was a lurid shade of red most definitely not found in nature. He didn't need to look in order to know that his lips, his tongue, and probably his fingers were stained pink. His own snack was slowly melting in the hot sun; he hadn't touched it.

The younger boy made a noise that might have been a moan of pleasure, and Luciola squirmed. _Does he have to eat like that in public? _He couldn't help risking another glance; what he saw made him turn red.

Dio was slowly licking it, eyes half-closed, with an expression of delight on his face. He swirled his tongue and licked harder; Luciola found he could not look away. _Is he doing this on purpose? I can't believe him. Does he even know what that looks like?_

He did. He removed the half-eaten popsicle from his mouth with an audible _smack_ and gave Luciola a smoldering glance totally at odds with his innocent words. "What's the matter, Luciola? Your popsicle's melting. You're so ungrateful; after I bought it for you, the least you could do is eat it."

Luciola stared at him, barely registering his words. Dio's lips had been stained deep red by the melted ice; his hair was ruffled by the wind, and the heat had brought a flush to his face_. Beautiful. So, so beautiful. _Finally, his words reached Luciola's ears, and he licked at his ice without really noticing the taste, forcing his eyes away from the vision beside him.

Now he was sure he was doing it on purpose. Although he steadfastly refused to look any more, he could still hear Dio licking the rapidly melting treat, as well as the occasional breathy sigh of satisfaction. It was nothing less than torture. _He must enjoy seeing me suffer; it's the only explanation. _As Dio made a little humming noise somewhere in the back of his throat, Luciola shivered.

A nearly inaudible cracking sound caught his attention, followed by an "Oh, damn it," from Dio. Luciola glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and breathed a sigh of relief.

The accursed popsicle had finally broken; a sizeable chunk of it now lay on the dusty ground. Dio pouted, an expression so unexpectedly appealing on him that Luciola had to fight a sudden urge to touch him. "Aw, there went my ice." He returned to sucking on what was left with renewed vigor for a few moments—making Luciola squirm uncomfortably--before stopping. He met Luciola's gaze with a smile. "Did you want some?"

Luciola's nearly untouched ice collapsed, falling off its stick to the ground. _Oh, dear._ "Ummm…"

Dio giggled. "Maybe we should track down that guy with the cart again. I'm still thirsty."

Luciola groaned.

"What's wrong? Your face is all red."

From the way Dio was smirking, Luciola had no doubt he knew exactly what was wrong. "N-nothing, my lord. It's just the heat."

"Really? Maybe I'd better cool you down." He reached out and brushed his fingers against Luciola's cheek, making him shiver—his fingers were _cold_.

"Ah, Lord Dio…" Luciola found himself leaning into the boy's touch, feeling his fingers begin to warm against his skin. He was drawing closer. _His hands…they used to be so soft. Now they're rough from the chores he does. And his scars…they're horrible to look at, but they're a symbol of all he's been through. He's so close; all I have to do is lean forward a tiny bit and…_

"Hi, guys! I haven't seen you in…oh."

Dio jerked back to face the girl who had interrupted them. She had pale reddish hair and gray eyes; he glared at her before apparently coming up with a name. "Lysimache, what are you doing here?" At the sight of Luciola's raised eyebrow, he explained, "Lysimache is the butcher's niece. Haven't you met her before?"

She looked from Dio to Luciola, and started to turn red. "Umm…sorry. I thought I'd say hi, but I didn't realize you two were…I'll just be getting on with my shopping now."

As she ducked into the store across the street, Dio sprang up from his seat. "Let's go walk around for a bit; maybe we'll run into Daphne."

Luciola blinked at him. _What was that? One minute, he's leaning in like he's going to kiss me, and the next he's acting as if nothing ever happened._ As he followed Dio, he began to wish for another popsicle; the temperature seemed to have risen dramatically in the last few minutes, and it might go some way towards cooling him down.

&

The next day, Dio went down to the stream and flopped down on his back in the grass. It was a bright, sunny day; he could hear Dunya's siblings and Alvis playing in the road in front of the house. He found himself smiling. _This…this is nice. It's so peaceful out here._

The wind rustled the long grass, tickling his bare arms. He lifted his eyes to the clouds. _Hey, that one looks kind of like a chicken. And the one below it looks like… _He tilted his head to the side. _A whale? No, maybe a vanship. Hmm. Something cylindrical._

There were footsteps behind him. He didn't have to look to know who it was. "Hey, Luciola."

The older boy sat down next to him. He was carrying a sandwich, which he gave to Dio. "I brought you lunch. What are you doing out here?"

Dio waved a hand at the sky. "Watching the clouds. Come on, it's fun." He took a bite of his sandwich and made a face. "Ham on rye again?"

"It's cheap, and we have a lot of people to feed. Do you know what's going on up by the house?" As Dio shook his head, Luciola elaborated. "Alister and Miss Tatiana are teaching some of the children from town the basics of flying a vanship. Ethan is there, too—he's staying for dinner."

Dio winced. "Isn't Daphne doing the cooking?"

"Actually, no. Apparently, Alister bought herself a cookbook, and she wants to try out a few recipes. I'm sure it won't be that bad."

He returned his gaze to the sky. "Hey, Luciola…doesn't that cloud up there look like a snake?"

Luciola followed his line of sight. "It does look a bit like a snake, yes."

"Hey, it shifted. Looks like a whale now, don't you think?"

"I think so, my lord."

Dio poked him in the shoulder, the highest part he could reach without actually moving. "That cloud looks nothing like a whale. Were you even paying attention to…" He trailed off. Luciola had turned to look at him, and their eyes had met. _Oh. His eyes are so warm. And_ _the look on his face…is he actually smiling?_

Luciola stretched out in the grass beside him. "Honestly, Lord Dio, I'm not as good at finding shapes in the clouds as you are. They all look like rain to me."

Dio thought he saw the corners of his mouth twitch, and he found himself smiling as well. "You look…nice…when you smile. You should do it more often."

The tips of Luciola's ears turned red as he blushed. "Ah…thank you, my lord."

His smile grew into a grin. "That's twice now I've complimented you. Shouldn't you return the favor?" _Maybe, if he gives an honest answer…I'll find out if he's interested in me or not._

Luciola met his gaze, and Dio swallowed nervously. "Lord Dio…it's not really my place to give you compliments, but it's also not possible for me to hide things from you. And…since you asked…you are—"

"Hey, Luciola! Come help; the engine's acting up on Tatiana's vanship, and we could use an extra pair of hands up here." Claus was standing at the top of the hill, looking frazzled.

Luciola heaved himself to his feet and sighed. "I have to go help. Claus doesn't know his way around that vanship, and Ethan can't do it alone."

Dio watched him go, feeling his face heat up. _He said he wouldn't hide things from me. What was he going to say? I've seen the way he acts around me, so it's clear that he's at least a little attracted to me…but I need him to make a definite move._ He groaned. _This is so frustrating, and our tendencies to be interrupted don't help…I may have to be a bit less subtle to get his attention._


	12. Small Apollo

The light in the bathroom had burned out, so Luciola cracked open the window to let in the morning sun as he took a shower. The water was lukewarm, and he sighed. _The only thing I miss from the Guild was the hot water._

As he bathed—making a mental note to buy more soap; they were almost out—he found his thoughts wandering to yesterday's conversation with Dio. _I know he was blatantly…what's that phrase? Fishing for compliments? I couldn't have lied to him. He told me that I'm attractive, that I have a nice smile. I would have told him he is beautiful… _He felt his face grow hot. _I can't. It's not my place._

He stretched, trying to rid himself of a twinge in his back. _It doesn't help that he keeps acting so suggestively. It makes me nervous, but at the same time, I can't help but wonder…_ He shook his head, scattering droplets of water off his hair. _No. There must be some other reason; maybe he's just teasing me more than he used to. He can't possibly think of me in that way._

The towel he used to dry himself off had once been white and fluffy, but repeated washing had turned it a dingy gray. He glanced in the mirror as he reached for his clothes. _This face…well, it isn't hideously ugly, but I'm surprised it appeals to Lord Dio._ He ran a hand through his hair. All the bleach had long since vanished, and his dark brown hair had grown just long enough to require him to actually comb it. _I should get Daphne to cut my hair again._

On his way out, he brushed past Dio; his fingers grazed the younger boy's wrist for a moment too long. Time seemed to slow as the touch sent a jolt though his body; Dio flashed him a quick smile. Then they moved past each other, and the moment was gone.

He was left alone in the hall. _Lord Dio…_ He shivered and looked down at his hands. _Why is this? Every time we touch…I don't want to pull away. I'm only supposed to be his servant, nothing more…but he calls me his friend and has quite obviously flirted with me on more than a few occasions._ _This is…I don't know what's appropriate for this situation._

The rest of the morning and most of the afternoon passed in a haze until he went into the garden. Dio was already there, weeding the potatoes. For a moment, Luciola stood in the doorway, watching him. _Even like this, kneeling in the dirt…he is beautiful._ Finally, he found his voice. "My lord, allow me to help."

Dio turned around, beaming at him. "Glad you're here." He waved a hand at the far end of the row. "Could you start working from there?"

Luciola worked slowly. For a while, he would focus utterly on his task, but then a crick in his neck or an ache in his back would force him to lift his head and catch sight of Dio, distracting him as he saw how the afternoon sunlight sank into the boy's skin.

As they worked their way in from opposite ends of the row, they drew closer and closer. Luciola flinched as Dio's voice sounded close to his ear. "Could you help me with this? This weed's stubborn."

He was wrestling with a deep-rooted plant that refused to be shifted. Luciola sighed and dug around the base of the stem, hoping to loosen the root system. When this effort proved futile, he unthinkingly wrapped his hands around Dio's own, lending him his strength in order to wrench it out. It fell from their joined hands with a soft thud, but Luciola found he could not release Dio's fingers.

_What am I doing? I should let go now…but I can't._ His grip tightened. _No, I could, but…I don't want to. I want to touch him._

Dio was smiling at him. "Your hands are shaking."

He jerked his hands away as though Dio's skin had burned him. "Forgive me; I was…" He trailed off; Dio was still smiling. "My lord?"

"Nothing. Let's finish up here; I'm hungry."

They finished their work in silence.

&

Dio sighed and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "Could you hand me that screwdriver?"

Luciola was bent over the maintenance hatch of Daphne's vanship, fiddling with a loose wire. Without looking, he pulled a screwdriver from his toolkit and handed it to Dio. "Here."

He tapped it idly on the hull. There wasn't really much for him to do, but looking productive couldn't hurt. He stole a glance at Luciola out of the corner of his eye. _Damn, he looks good. Except for that smudge of grease on his forehead. _He grinned. "Hey, Luciola?" _Can't have him going around looking like that all day._

As Luciola glanced up, Dio leaned over the hull and wiped off the mark with his thumb. "You had grease…" He forgot the rest of his sentence. Lunging forward had put his face perilously close to Luciola's, and he found he couldn't tear his eyes away from him. _Wow. His eyes…he looks like he did the other day, when he took my hand. So intense. _

Dio slid his fingers over the side of his face, feeling Luciola's skin heat up as he blushed. "Dio…" His voice was shaking.

He leaned just a bit closer. _He said my name. My name, without any titles._ "Yes?"

Luciola laid his hand over Dio's other hand and leaned forward. He was licking his lips nervously.

The door to the vanship shed opened with a bang as Claus and Lavie entered. Dio pulled his hand away with a groan. _Every single time it looks like I might finally be getting somewhere…_ "Whatever you were going to say…you can tell me later, alright?"

Luciola swallowed hard. "Yes, of course. Have you made any progress on that roll linkage yet?"

_Oh, that's right…I was supposed to be checking that._ "It's getting there."

As he stopped pretending to work and actually started the long and boring process of basic maintenance on Daphne's vanship, Dio shivered. _That's the first time he's ever said my name without calling me "my lord." If Immelmann and Lavie hadn't walked in…he was going to do something. What?_ He snorted. _Oh, I'm getting all worked up over nothing. He's so deep in denial, he probably didn't realize….I'll have to put more effort into this._

&

Luciola blinked and stretched sleepily in the morning light. For once, he was alone; Dio had already gotten up. He reached for his shirt. All his others were hanging out to dry on the clothesline, which left him with one option—the button-down shirt with the itchy collar he had worn on the day he found Dio. He fumbled with the buttons. _I dislike this shirt. Then again, since I was wearing it when I found Lord Dio again…maybe it's lucky?_

He did up the last button. _Ridiculous. There's no such thing as luck. Although I suppose it might be called fortunate that Claus and Lavie walked in yesterday._ He felt his face heat up. _I don't know what came over me; Dio touched me, and suddenly…I wanted to kiss him. But that's just stupid; he wouldn't be wasting time flirting with me if he was really interested._

Dio strolled into the room. "Hey, you're up! Excellent; breakfast's on the table. Let's eat; Dunya made toast, and there's coffee and everything." His gaze swept Luciola from top to bottom, making him squirm.

Dio frowned. "You missed a button. Here, let me fix it."

Luciola stood still, trembling as Dio's hands flitted over his chest, making short work of the first five buttons. "My lord…" He gasped as Dio slid his fingers over his collarbone. "_Dio_."

A tremor seemed to go through Dio as he began to trace intricate patterns over his shoulders and chest, making Luciola shiver in response. "Mmm? What's the matter? You don't like it?" Slowly, excruciatingly slowly, he started to do up the buttons again, making sure to brush his fingers against his flat stomach.

Suddenly, Luciola was angry. _Even now, he keeps toying with me._ He grabbed Dio's wrists, stopping him with his fingers clenched in the fabric of his shirt. "Lord Dio, why are you doing this?"

Dio released his shirt. "What do you mean?" His voice was light and innocent, but his eyes glittered in a way that made Luciola slightly uncomfortable.

"My _lord_—"With effort, Luciola loosened his hold on Dio's wrists. _I have to calm down; this isn't worth getting angry over._ But he found he couldn't keep a note of frustration out of his voice. "I know very well that you are not stupid. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Why do you keep touching me like this?"

Strangely, Dio grinned. "_I_ may not be stupid, but it seems _you're_ denser than I took you for. You really don't know? Or…you just don't want to admit that you know. You wouldn't be so upset if you thought I was doing all this innocently."

Luciola let go of his wrists entirely, taking a step back. _If he's not—if he's doing all this to purposely get my attention, then…_ "You are…" _No. I know he flirts and touches me, and he certainly seems interested, but…he can't mean it._ He shivered.

"Hey, are you guys going to eat or what? Your food's getting cold here." Irena stood in the doorway, impatiently tapping her foot.

"Oh, yes. Of course." Luciola walked out of the room without a backward glance, not even hearing Dio's sigh of frustration.

&

_So close. I was so close, but…he just wouldn't see it. At least I know he gets it, but…_ Dio scrubbed viciously at the plate he was holding. _I think the knowledge may have overwhelmed him a bit._

Alvis looked up from the cutlery she was wiping. "Dio? Are you okay?"

He forced himself to smile at her. "I'm fine. I'm just thinking about things, that's all."

"Oh. I think that plate's clean now."

He blinked at it. She was right. He reached for the next one, moving a dishrag against it absentmindedly as he stared out the window. Luciola was practicing with his knives in the road. _I know he loves me. If he didn't, he definitely wouldn't have come back from the dead for me. And I know that his feelings for me must include lust, or he wouldn't get so flustered when I touch him_. Dio started to hum quietly, smiling to himself. _If the knight won't move, I'll have to move for him._

Alvis blinked at him. "What happened? You look happy all of a sudden."

Dio beamed at her. "It's nothing you need to worry about. I'm just in a good mood today, that's all." _Soon. Now that my feelings are clear to him, I can move faster._ _Since it's pretty clear Luciola won't make the first move, I'll just have to push him until he does._

&

By the time Luciola reentered the house, the sun was going down. Dinner was on the table; he ate quickly, ignoring Dio's attempts to catch his eye. When he finished, he went to his room, nearly collapsing on his bed. His head hurt.

_Lord Dio…_ He stared unblinking up at the ceiling. _I love him. I've always loved him, since the very day we met. But lust? _Vivid memories flooded his mind: Dio greeting him with hugs that sent jolts through his body, even when they had only been separated for a few hours; Dio eating his birthday cake on the Silvana and demanding Luciola try some; Dio running his hands over his bare skin on the pretense of finding out what his new body was like. He shivered, feeling heat suffuse his body. _I shouldn't be thinking about him like this. But then… _He thought of Dio, slowly sucking on that damned popsicle. _He seems to be encouraging it._

Dio pushed open the door and stepped in quietly. "Hey, there. Are you okay? You hardly ate."

He sat up, unable to meet Dio's gaze. "I'm fine."

Even then, tired to the bone with knife practice, his heart skipped a beat as Dio smirked at him. "Are you sure? You look a little…flushed."

"I _said_ I'm fine." _Next time, I think I'll have to use a less strenuous practice routine—my heart is still racing._

Luciola ignored the soft creak of bedsprings as Dio sat down next to him, but flinched away when he laid a hand on his arm. "Are you still thinking about this morning?"

"N-no. Of course not. Why would you think that?"

Dio let go of his hand in favor of sliding his fingers delicately over his leg. "Hmm. Well…maybe because you still won't look at me. Or maybe it's because your face is going all red the more I do this. Or…it just might be because your feelings for me aren't as platonic as you'd like to think." Dio's hand moved higher.

Luciola got to his feet, wrenching himself away from him. "Why? Why do you affect me like this?"

Dio followed him, grabbing his hand. "I really don't see what the problem is. You like me, don't you? So why is it so hard to accept that your interest runs deeper than that? Are you scared?"

_Scared? I—no._ "My lord, it would not be _right_."

Almost casually, Dio reached up and began to toy with his collar. As his hands moved to undo the first button, Luciola's eyes widened. In this position, there was no way to avoid eye contact with Dio; the boy's eyes were alight with mischief, and he felt something squirm inside him as they stared into his. "'My lord?'" The second button was gone. "'Right?'" And the third and fourth. "We aren't in the Guild anymore, Luciola." All the buttons were undone; Dio carelessly pushed the garment off Luciola's shoulders. "So what's holding you back?" He ran his fingers lightly down Luciola's chest.

Luciola choked on his words. _He's right. There is no Guild anymore, so… But what should I do? I want to…_ "All my life, I have been trained to do what is appropriate in every situation."

"…And?" Dio drew closer, until Luciola could feel his breath on his face. "That shouldn't matter anymore. Tell me, Luciola. What do you want to do? I've seen how you react to me. Don't you want to touch me? Your face yesterday… Were you going to kiss me?"

He swallowed nervously. _I wanted to. I did, but… Then again, if he asks me to…_ "I…in order to serve you, I have to maintain control over my emotions at all times."

Dio smirked and slid his hands down to the waistband of his pants, making Luciola gasp. "Oh? And what if I said I wanted you to lose control? What if I said I wanted you to make me feel the same way you must be feeling now? What if…" His voice dropped to a purr that reverberated throughout Luciola's body. "I said I was yours, to do with as you please?"

_Mine. I call him my lord, but I've never really considered what that meant until now. If he is not my lord, then…he is still mine. And he told me to do what I want._ He trembled, acutely aware of Dio pressing himself against him. _What I want…is him._

"Well?" Dio's eyes had never left his. He smiled wickedly. "Are you going to do anything? Or are you just going to stand here all hot and bothered?"

Luciola only had to lean forwards slightly to kiss him. And so he did. _This…this is what I want._

Dio's mouth was sweet and tasted faintly of peppermint; he made a faint sound of delight as Luciola's mouth descended on his. Luciola made an inarticulate noise in the back of his throat as he deepened the kiss.

Eventually, they broke for air. Dio was grinning. "Did I ever tell you I love you?"

Luciola smiled back at him. "You never needed to. I know, just as you must know my feelings for you."

Dio kissed him again, long and slow, before pulling away. "I do. But it would be nice to hear you say it."

"I love you…Dio." _It feels strange not to call him 'lord' anymore, but…it feels nice, too._ Luciola lowered his head and kissed him hard, pinning him back against the wall with a thud. As he slid his hands slowly under Dio's shirt, the boy moaned into his mouth. Then Dio broke the kiss to trail warm lips over his neck and collarbone. _Oh, that feels good…_ Luciola shuddered and groaned with the sensation.

"_Hey! _Do you two mind keeping it down? The rest of the house is trying to _sleep_ here!" It was Lavie's voice; from her tone, she had just been woken up. She banged on the wall for emphasis.

Luciola pulled away, his face scarlet. "Ah, Dio…maybe we should listen to her?"

"I don't want to. But…" Dio sighed dramatically. "I've lived here longer than you have, and I know what she's like when she's mad. Not to mention…" He winced. "Alvis is sleeping in the other room. If she hears…I don't think either of us wants to be the one to have to explain what we're doing. So…" He trailed off; with a shock, Luciola realized he actually looked slightly embarrassed.

"Do you want to just go to bed?" Luciola knew it was ridiculous, but he felt his face heat up again. _After all, a bed implies…_ He banished that thought from his mind.

"…Okay. I am pretty tired. You must be too, after all that exercise you did today."

He was, but he didn't realize it until he collapsed into bed with Dio's arms around him. _This is perfect. Everything is perfect. _Dio yawned, resting his head on his chest. _Lord Dio…no, just Dio now. He loves me. And I…love him._

He was still smiling as he drifted off to sleep.


End file.
